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MEMOIRS 


LIFE  AND  WRITINGS 


KEY.  CLAUDIUS  BUCHANAN,  D.  D. 

LATE 

VICE  PROVOST  OF  THE  COLLEGE  OF  FORT  WILLIAM 
IN  BENGAL. 


THE  REV.  HUGH  PEARSON.  M.  A. 
OF  ST.  John's  college,  oxeord. 


l§  TO  £5re<T«^o|fit  usif*.vi]0-76i  KXTecXsiTreTxi,  Thucyd. 


PHILADELPHIA: 

PUBLISHED  BY  BENJAMIN  &  THOMAS  KITE, 

NO.  20,  NORTH  THIRD  STREET. 

1817. 


TO 

WILLIAM  WILBERFORCE,  ESQ.  M.  P. 

TO  WHOSE  EFFORTS  IN  PARLIAMENT 

THE  TRIUMPH  OF  THE  CAUSE 

TO  WHICH 

THE  LIFE  OF  DR.  BUCHANAN  WAS  DEVOTED, 

IS  EMINENTLY  TO  BE  ATTRIBUTED  j 

AND  BY  WHOSE  PRIVATE  FRIENDSHIP, 

AND  PUBLIC  SUPPORT, 

HE  WAS  HONOURED; 

THE  FOLLOWING  MEMOIRS 

ARE  WITH  SENTIMENTS  OF  THE  HIGHEST 

RESPECT  AND  ESTEEM 
f 
INSCRIBED  BY 

THE  AUTHOR. 


PREFACE. 


THE  observation  of  Lord  Bacon,  as  to  the  defi 
cieucy  in  the  biographical  department  of  literature  in 
his  day,  is  certainly  not  applicable  to  the  present 
times.  We  have  rather  to  complain  of  excess  than  of 
defect.  While  ample  justice  has  been  done  to  the 
lives  of  eminent  persons,  it  must  be  confessed,  that 
accounts  of  obscure  individuals  have  been  unnecessa- 
rily multiplied. 

The  Author  of  the  following  Memoirs  trusts  that  he 
will  not  be  deemed  liable  to  this  charge.  The  per- 
son to  whose  life  and  waitings  they  relate  is  already 
well  known  to  the  world,  and  has  established  an  un- 
doubted claim  to  posthumous  regard.  The  prominent 
station  which  Dr.  Buchanan  occupied  in  India,  and 
the  zeal  and  ability  with  which  he  laboured  to  pro- 
mote the  interests  of  Christianity  in  that  country  and 
throughout  the  eastern  world,  seem  to  demand  some 
commemoration  of  his  character  and  exertions ;  and, 
unless  the  writer  of  these  pages  is  much  mistaken  in 
his  judgment,  they  describe  **  a  person  in  whom,*'  to 
use  the  language  of  the  celebrated  author  just  alluded 
to,  "  actions,  both  great  and  small,  public  and  private, 
"  are  so  blended  together,''  as  to  secure  that  '•  gen- 
"  uine,  native,  and  lively  representation,''  which  form? 
the  peculiar  excellence  and  us©  of  biography. 


N,  FKEFACE. 

Tin  TO  is  this  additional  reason  for  giving  to  the 
|nihlic  some  account  of  Dr.  Buchanan,  that,  from  the 
nauire  of  the  suhjects  to  which  his  attention  was  direc- 
ted, he  uiiavoi(lal)ly  incurred  a  considerahle  degree  of 
dis;)lLasiif  on  <hr  part  of  those  whose  opinions  or  pre- 
judices he  fell  it  to  be  his  duty  to  oppose.  It  is  but 
reasonable,  therefore,  that  his  views  and  motives  should 
be  fnllvand  fairly  developed,  that  the  world  may  have 
an  npporiiinity  of  forming  a  just  estimate  of  his  cha- 
rarter  and  lal)ours. 

How  far  the  Author  of  the  following  Memoirs  may 
have  succeeded  in  this  object  must  be  left  to  the  pub- 
lic to  determine.  He  is  fully  aware  of  the  difficulty 
pointed  out  by  a  consummate  judge  of  human  nature,* 
of  representing  impartially  sentiments  or  actions,  re- 
spectini;  which  much  difference  of  opinion  and  feeling 
>\ill  necessarily  exist,  according  to  the  knowledge  and 
the  dispositions  of  the  reader  upon  the  subject  in  ques- 
tion. It  has  undoubtedly  been  his  aim  to  exhibit  the 
characti'i  and  conduct  of  Dr.  Buchanan  in  their  true 
lii^ht,  and  to  enable  the  world  to  determine  the  degree 
of  merit  to  which  he  may  be  justly  entitled. 

For  this  purpose,  he  has  endeavoured  to  render  him, 
H«  much  as  possible,  liis  own  biographer,  and  has  ac- 
cordingly interwoven  with  the  narrative  of  his  life  a 
icries  of  extracts  from  letters  to  many  of  his  friends 
and  correspondents.  Independently  of  the  authentic 
and  interesting  nature  of  the  information  thus  convey- 
ed, where,  as  was  eminently  the  case  with  Dr.  Bu- 
chanan, the  writer  is  upright  in  his  general  views,  and 
simple  in  the  expression  of  them,  his  correspondence 
formed   one  of  the   principal  sources  of  the  Memoirs 

*  Thucjd.  Hist,  ii.35. 


PREFACE. 


vit 


here  presented  to  the  public ;  some  valuable  private 
documents  having  been  unfortunately  lost.  Other  ma- 
terials were  derived  from  certain  papers  and  memo- 
randa referred  to  in  the  Memoirs,  from  the  more 
public  events  of  Dr.  Buchanan's  life,  and  from  his 
printed  works.  In  the  use  of  these  various  materials, 
relating  to  many  different  persons,  events,  and  circum- 
stances, the  Author  cannot  flatter  himself  that  he  has 
been  invariably  accurate.  He  can  only  say,  that 
upon  every  occasion  this  has  been  his  intention  and 
aim. 

One  part  of  the  following  Memoirs  will,  it  is  pre- 
sumed, be  read  with  considerable  interest,  that  which 
relates  to  the  institution,  progress,  and  effects  of  the 
College  of  Fort  William  in  Bengal ;  in  the  establish- 
ment, conduct,  and  superintendence  of  which  Dr.  Bu. 
chanan  was  intimatejy  concerned  during  the  period  of 
its  most  extensive  and  eft'ective  operation.  The  pro- 
ceedings of  this  Institution  are,  it  is  believed,  but  little 
known  in  England,  and  deserve  particular  attention  at 
the  present  moment.^ 

The  account  also  of  the  journey  of  Dr.  Buchanan  to 
the  coast  of  Malabar,  and  of  his  visit  to  the  Syrian 
churches  in  the  interior  of  Travancore,  notwithstand- 


^  It  is  remarkable,  that  Professor  Malthus,  in  stating  as  one  of 
the  principal  reasons  for  the  preference  due  to  the  East  India 
Company's  College  in  England,  its  superior  adaptation  to  pre- 
serve regularity  in  the  conduct,  and  economy  in  the  personal  ex- 
penses of  the  students,  seems  not  to  have  been  aware,  that  these 
were  the  very  points  in  which  the  college  of  Fort  William,  du= 
ring  its  first  four  years,  peculiarly  excelled.  It  is  but  just  to  the 
latter  institution,  that  its  original  merits  in  both  these  important 
respects  should  be  generally  known.  See  pp.  184—186,  and  • 
231— 232,  of  this  volume. 


viii  PREFACE. 

ing  his  own  introduction  of  it  to  the  public,  will  pro- 
bably  prove  acceptable  to  the  reader.  More  might 
easily  have  been  added  to  this,  and  indeed  to  every 
part  of  the  Memoirs  ;  but  it  may,  perhaps,  be  thought 
by  some  that  they  have  already  exceeded  their  just 
limits. 

It  may  not  be  unnecessary  to  observe,  that  this  vol- 
ume contains  the  history  of  a  man,  whose  leading 
characteristic  was  a  sincere  and  devoted  attachment 
to  the  (rospel  of  Christ,  as  a  living  principle  of  faith 
and  practice.  While,  therefore,  it  is  hoped,  that  those 
whose  sentiments  are  substantially  similar  will  derive 
peculiar  gratification  from  the  perusal  of  the  following 
Memoirs,  they  may  tend,  as  far  as  others  are  concern- 
ed, both  to  explain  the  nature  of  those  principles,  and 
to  illustrate  and  recommend  their  excellence  and  value. 
Whatever  is  worthy  either  of  being  admired  or  imita- 
ted, and  there  is  much  which  is  deserving  of  both  in 
the  character  of  Dr.  Buchanan,  is  chiefly  to  be  ascri- 
bed to  his  \iews  and  feelings  as  a  Christian ;  and 
though,  as  the  Author  himself  would  avow,  it  is  by  no 
means  necessary  to  coincide  in  every  opinion  expressed 
by  Dr.  Buchanan  in  this  volume,  he  is  deeply  persua- 
ded, that  the  leading  principles  of  his  life  and  conduct 
are  alone  capable  of  producing  genuine  and  exalted 
virtue,  peace  of  conscience,  and  a  well-grounded  hope 
of  eternal  happiness. 

With  respect  to  his  own  undertaking,  the  Author 
has  only  to  state,  that  he  engaged  in  it  at  the  request  of 
the  family  and  friends  of  Dr.  Buchanan.  They  were, 
doubtless,  induced  to  place  this  task  in  his  hands  from 
the  circumstance  of  his  having  some  years  since  had 
occasion  to  consider  the  great  subject  to  which  the 
life  of  that  excellent  man  was  devoted,  which  led  to  a 


PREFACE.  ix 

subsequent  acquaintance  with  him.  And  though  he 
has  to  resiret  that  his  intercourse  with  Dr.  Buchanan 
was  less  frequent  and  intimate  than  he  wished,  it 
tended  greatly  to  increase  that  lively  interest  in  his 
character,  which  the  previous  knowledge  of  his  history 
had  excited.  He  felt  also  that  he  owed  a  debt  of  grat- 
itude and  service  to  his  memory,  which  he  was  anxious 
to  have  an  opportunity  of  discharging  ;  and  however 
inadequately  he  may  have  acquitted  himself  of  this 
obligation,  he  trusts  that  his  intention  will  be  approved; 
and  that  the  following  work,  thus  designed  to  record 
the  excellencies  of  a  benefactor  and  a  friend,  to  adopt 
the  affectionate  apology  of  a  Roman  biographer,  "  Pro- 
''  fessioue  pietatis  aut  laudatus  erit,  aut  excusatus.'^^ 

The  Author  cannot  close  this  Preface,  without  short- 
ly adverting  to  the  subject  which  is  so  frequently 
brought  under  review  in  the  following  Memoirs,  the 
promotion  of  Christianity  in  the  East.  Much  as  Dr. 
Buchanan  was  permitted  to  effect  towards  that  great 
and  important  work,  much  yet  remains  to  be  accom- 
plished. The  foundation  of  our  Episcopal  Establish- 
ment has  indeed  been  laid  in  India ;  but  it  requires  to 
be  strengthened  and  enlarged,  and  a  more  goodly  and 
majestic  superstructure  to  be  erected  upon  it.  Churches 
are  still  wandijg  at  the  different  European  stations,  and 
a  considerable  increase  in  the  number  of  chaplains. 
The  translation  of  the  Scriptures,  and  of  useful  tracts, 
into  the  oriental  languages  should  be  encouraged  and 
pursued.  Schools  should  be  instituted  for  the  in- 
struction of  the  young,  more  particularly  in  the  know- 
ledge of  the  English  language  ;  and  the  native  Christ- 

«  Tac.  in  vit.  Agric. 

B 


X  PREFACE. 

ians,  instead  of  beins;,    as    hitherto,    neglected,    and 
even  repressed,  should  be  accredited  and  supported. 

These  are  but  brief  and  imperfect  sugii;estions, 
which  it  must  be  left  to  others,  better  qualified  for  the 
task,  to  expand  and  realize.  The  Author  would  only, 
therefore,  add,  that  it  is  for  those  who  survive  the  la- 
mented subject  of  this  volume,  and  who  deeply  feel 
the  value  of  his  various  labours,  to  study  to  repair  his 
loss,  to  rescue  from  neglect  or  failure  the  plans  which 
he  conceived,  and  to  continue  that  which  he  so  suc- 
cessfully began. 

In  the  mean  time,  may  the  following  record  of  his 
pious  and  disinterested  exertions  excite  the  zeal  and 
strengthen  the  resolution  of  others  to  follow  him  in  his 
benevolent  career  ;  and  prove,  under  that  Divine  bless- 
ing which  its  Author  fervently  implores,  in  some  de- 
gree, the  means  of  confirming  and  extending  the  king- 
dom of  Christ,  not  only  in  India,  but  throughout  the 
world  at  large. 

St.  Gileses,  Oxford, 
March  8,  1817. 


CONTENTS, 


PART  I. 

CHAPTER  I. 

Early  life  and  education  of  Mr.  Buchanan  in  Scotland.  His 
journey  to  England.  Employment  in  the  law,  and  serious 
change  in  his  religious  views.  Introduction  to  Mr.  New- 
ton.    From  1766  to  1791.  pp.  17—37. 

CHAP.  ir. 

Mr.  Buchanan's  wish  to  enter  the  Church.  His  introduction 
to  Mr.  H.  Thornton,  and  admission  at  Queen's  College^ 
Cambridge.     From  February  to  September  1791. 

pp.  38—48. 

CHAP.  III. 

Commencement  of  Mr.  Buchanan's  residence  at  Cambridge. 
His  studies  and  correspondence.  His  ordination  and  ap- 
pointment to  India.     From  October  1791  to  March  1796. 

pp.  49—104. 


PART  II. 

CHAPTER  I. 

Mr.  Buchanan's  voyage  to  India.     His  arrival  at    Calcutta 
in    March    1797.     Appointment   as   chaplain   at   Barrack- 


xii  CONTENTS. 

pore,  and  residence  there  till  November  1799.  Marriage  ot 
Mr.  Buchanan  in  the  spring  of  that  year.  Appointment  as 
one  of  the  chaplains  of  tiie  Presidency.  Institution  of  the 
College  of  Fort  William,  and  appointment  of  Mr.  Bu- 
chanan as  Vice-Provost,  and  Professor  of  classics,  in  the 
year  1800.  pp.  105—157. 

CRAP.  II. 

Progress  of  the  College.  Official  and  clerical  engagements 
of  Mr.  Buchanan.  Voyage  of  Mrs.  Buchanan  to  England. 
College  disputations  and  examinations.  Speeches  of  Go- 
vernor General  as  Visitor.  Orders  of  the  Court  of  Direc- 
tors for  its  abolition.  Defence  of  that  institution  by  the 
Marquis  Wellesley ;  and  by  Mr.  Buchanan.  Return  of 
Mrs.  Buchanan  to  Bengal.  Mr.  Obeck.  His  character  and 
death.  First  series  of  Prizes  offered  by  Mr.  Buchanan  to 
the  Universities  and  public  Schools  of  the  United  Kingdom. 
Mr.  Buchanan's  Sermon  at  the  Presidency  Church  on  the 
Evidences  of  Christianity.  From  January  1801  to  Decem- 
ber 1803.  pp.  158—211. 

CHAP.  III. 

Order  from  the  Court  of  Directors  for  the  continuance  of  the 
College  of  Fort  William.  Annual  disputations.  Transla- 
tion of  the  Scriptures  at  the  College.  Prejudices  against 
that  measure  resisted  by  Mr.  Buchanan.  Circumstances 
relative  to  the  institution  of  the  Civil  Fund  for  Widows 
and  Orphans.  Salutary  influence  of  the  College.  Second 
voyage  of  Mrs.  Buchanan  to  England.  Composition  of  Mr. 
Buchanan's  '-Memoir  on  the  Expediency  of  an  Ecclesias- 
"tical  Establishment  for  India."  Determination  of  first 
series  of  Prizes.  Grounds  and  analysis  of  Mr.  Buchanan's 
Memoir.  Mr.  Lassar,  and  his  Chinese  class  at  Serampore. 
Mr.  Buchanan's  publication,  entitled,  "The  Colleo-e  of  Fort 
•'  William."  Literary  and  moral  excellence  of  that  insti- 
tution.   Course  of  Sermons  by  Mr.  Buchanan  on  the  lead- 


CONTENTS.  xiii 

ing  doctrines  of  the  Gospel.     From  January  1804  to  the 
spring  of  the  following  year,  pp-  212— .248f 

CHAP.  IV. 

Mr.  Buchanan's  proposal  of  two  Prizes  of  5001.  to  the  Uni- 
versities of  Oxford  and  Cambridge,  in  June  1805.  His  dan- 
gerous illness.  x\ccount  of  the  death  of  Mrs.  Buchanan. 
Mr.  Buchanan's  letter  to  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury. 
College  disputations.     Mr.  Buchanan's  exertions  to  promote 

^  translations  of  the  Scriptures  into  the  oriental  languages. 
Missionaries  at  Serampore.  Degree  of  D.  D.  from  the  Uni- 
versity of  Glasgow.  PP-  24^     2^"- 

CHAP.  V. 

Departure  of  Dr.  Buchanan  from  Calcutta  in  May  1806,  on  a 
journey  to  the  coast  of  Malabar.  Account  of  this  journey 
in  a  series  of  letters  from  Dr.  Buchanan  to  the  Rev.  D. 
Brown.  Jellasore—Cuttack— Juggernaut— Visagapatam— 
Madras— Pondicherry—Tranquebar—Tanjore—Tritchinop- 
oly—  Madura—  Ramnad-pooram—  Ramisseram —  Ceylon- 
Cape  Comorin— Travancore.  Visit  to  the  Syrian  Churches 
of  Malayala.  Cochin— Return  from  thence  by  sea  to  Cal- 
cutta in  March  1807.  PP-  277—341. 


ChAP.  VI. 

state  of  the  College  of  Fort  William  on  Dr.  Buchanan's  return 
to  Calcutta.  Abolition  of  the  office  of  Vice-Provost.  Dr. 
Buchanan's  "Literary  Intelligence"  respecting  his  late 
journey.  His  correspondence  with  Colonel  Macaulay  and 
other  friends.  "  Christian  Institution  in  the  East."  Cor- 
respondence continued.  Dr.  Buchanan's  Memorial  to  the 
Governor  General  respecting  his  Sermons  on  the  Prophe- 
cies. His  farewell  Sermon,  His  departure  from  Calcutta, 
in  December  1807  on  a  second  visit  to  the  coast  of  Malabar. 
Letter*   to    Mr.  Brown.      Ceylon— Cochin— Tellicherry— 


XIV 


CONTENTS. 


Goa — Bombay.     Malayalim  Version    of  tlie  four  Gospels. 
Point  tie  Galle.     Voyage  to   Europe   in    March    1808. 

pp.  342—391. 


PART  III. 

CHAPTER  I. 

Determination  of  the  second  Prizes  to  the  Universities  of  Ox- 
ford and  Cambridge.  Sermons  preached  at  both  Universi- 
ties in  pursuance  of  Dr.  Buchanan's  proposals.  Brief  view 
of  the  controversy  on  the  subject  of  Christianity  in  India 
during  the  year  1808.  pp.  392—400. 

CHAP.  II. 

Arrival  of  Dr.  Buchanan  in  England.  His  journey  to  Scot- 
land— Bristol.  Archbishop  of  Canterbury's  reply  to  Dr. 
Buchanan's  letter  from  Bengal.  The  '*  Star  in  the  East." 
Visit  to  Oxford  and  Cambridge.  Degree  of  D.  D.  confer- 
red by  the  latter  University.  Temporary  engagement  at 
Welbeck  Chapel,  London.  From  August  1808  to  October 
1809.  pp.  401—419. 

CHAP.  III. 

Dr.  Buchanan's  second  marriage.  Jubilee  Sermons.  ■  Settle- 
ment in  Yorkshire.  Present  of  Oriental  MSS.  to  the  Uni- 
versity of  Cambridge.  Sermon  before  the  Church  Mission- 
ary Society.  Commencement  Sermons  at  Cambridge.  Their 
publication,  with  the  "  Christian  Researches  in  Asia." 
Illness  of  Dr.  Buchanan.  Proposed  voyage  to  Palestine. 
Visit  to  Buxton.  Sermon  on  "the  Healing  Waters  of 
Bethesda."  Second  visit  to  Scotland.  Return  through  part 
of  Ireland.  Second  paralytic  attack.  Defence  of  the  Syrian 
Christians.     Sketch  of  an  Ecclesiastical  Establishment  for 


CONTENTS.  XV 

British  India.    Death  of  Mrs.  Buchanan.     From  November 
1809<to  April  1813.  pp.420— 474. 

CHAP  IV. 

Sketch  of  the  proceedings  in  Parliament  on  the  subject  of  pro- 
moting Christianity  in  India.  Dr.  Buchanan's  publication, 
entitled,  "  Colonial  Ecclesiastical  Establishment."  Letter 
to  Mr.  Lushington.  ^'  Apology  for  promoting  Christianity 
"  in  India."  Determination  of  Parliament  in  favour  of  this 
great  object.  Various  correspondence.  Dr.  Buchanan's  re- 
moval from  Yorkshire.  Residence  for  a  short  time  at 
Cambridge.  Charge  to  Missionaries  proceeding  to  India. 
Dr.  Buchanan  fixes  his  residence  in  Hertfordshire,  for  the 
purpose  of  superintending  a  new  edition  of  the  Syriac  New 
Testament.  Correspondence.  Short  visit  to  Yorkshire. 
Return  to  Broxbourne.  Attendance  at  the  funeral  of  Mr. 
Henry  Thornton.  Death  of  Dr.  Buchanan.  Review  of  his 
character  and  labours.  pp.  475 — 537. 


MEMOIRS 


0¥    THE 


REV.  DR.  BUCHANAN. 


PAHT  I. 


CHAPTER  L 

IT  is  by  no  means  uncommon  in  the  history  of  those  who 
have  in  any  manner  distinguished  themselves  among  their 
contemporaries,  to  find  them  deriving  no  peculiar  honour 
from  their  ancestors,  but  rather  reflecting  it  upon  them ;  and 
becoming  themselves,  if  not  the  founders  of  a  family,  yet  the 
sole  authors  of  their  fame.  Of  the  truth  of  this  observation, 
an  instance  is  afforded  by  the  subject  of  the  following  Me- 
moirs. His  remote  origin  might  perhaps  be  traced  to  some 
of  those  who  have  in  different  ages  illustrated  the  name  of 
Buchanan  ;  but  it  is  not  known  that  he  ever  claimed  any  such 
distinction,  nor  is  it  a  point  which  it  is  at  all  necessary  to 
ascertain.  If,  however,  the  Biographer  of  this  excellent 
man  is  unable  to  deduce  his  descent  from  the  possessors  of 
worldly  rank  or  talent,  an  honour  which  may  be  unjustly  de- 
preciated, as  it  is  sometimes  unduly  prized,  he  may  at  least 
assert,  that  his  immediate  progenitors  were  endowed  with 
more  than  an  ordinary  share  of  Christian  piety ;  an  honour, 
in  his  estimation,  of  a  higher  nature  ;  and  a  blessing,  which, 
as  he  peculiarly  valued  it,  was  not  only  a  source  of  pleasing 
and  grateful  recollection,  but  might  not  improbably  form  one 
link  in  the  chain  of  causes  which  led  to  his  own  distin= 
guished  worth  and  usefulness. 


18  MEMOIRS  OF 

Claldil's  Buchanan  was  born  at  Cambuslang,  near 
Glasgow,  on  the  12tli  of  March  1766.  He  was  the  son  of 
Mr.  Alexander  Buchanan,  a  man  of  respectable  learning, 
and  of  excellent  character,  who  was  highly  esteemed  in 
various  parts  of  Scotland,  as  a  laborious  and  faithful  teacher, 
and  who  a  few  months  i)revious  to  his  death  was  appointed 
rector  of  the  grammar  school  of  Falkirk. 

His   mother  was  the  daughter  of  Mr.  Claudius  Somers, 
one  of  the  Elders  of  the  Church  at  Cambuslang  about  the 
period  of  the  extraordinary  occurrences  wliicli  took  place  in 
that  valley,  in  consequence  of  the  preaching  of  the  celebra- 
ted Mr.  Whitefield,   in   the  year  17i2.a     Notwithstanding 
the  enthusiasm  and   extravagance  which  probably  attended 
those   remarkable  scenes,  it  is  unquestionable,  that  many 
were  excited  to  a  deep  and  lasting  sense  of  real  religion. 
Amongst  this  number  was  the  grandfather  of  the  subject  of 
this  Memoir;  whose  piety  was  imbibed  by  his  daughter,  the 
mother  of  Buchanan.     By  both  these  excellent  persons  he 
api)cars  to  have  been  carefully  trained,  from  his  earliest 
years,  in  religious  principles  and  habits.     He  is  described, 
by  one  of  his  surviving  relatives,  as  having  been  distin- 
guished from  his  youth  by  a  lively  and  engaging  disposition. 
He  is  said  also  to  have  recollected  the  serious  impressions 
which  were  sometimes  made  upon  his  mind  by  the  devotions 
of  the  paternal  Voof,  and  by  the  admonitions  wliich  his  grand- 
fatlicr,  from  whom  he  derived  his  baptismal  name,  and  who 
seems  to  have  regarded  him  with  peculiar  affection,  was  ac- 
customed to  addl'ess  to  him  occasionally  in  his  study.     And 
(hough,   as  it  will  icfterwards   appear,  the  instructions  and 
example  of  these  pious  relatives  were  not  immediately  pro- 
ductive of  any  decided  and  permanent  eilect,  he   must  be 
added  to  the  number  of  those  who  ultimately  derived  essen- 
tial benefit  from  having  been  brought  np  "  in  the  nurture 
•*  and  admonition  of  the  Lord ;"  and  consequently  as  afford- 
ing fresh  encouragement  to  religious  parents  to  pursue  a 
course  which  has  been  so  frequently  crowned  with  success, 
and  whicli  is  seldom,  it  may  be  hoped,  altogether  in  vain. 

^         ^  See  GilUes's  Historical  Coll.  vol.  ii.  \>.  339. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  ly 

In  the  year  1773,  at  the  age  of  seven  years,  young  Bu- 
chanan was  sent  to  a  grammar  school  at  Inverary  in  Argyle- 
shire,  where  he  received  the  rudiments  of  liis  education,  and 
is  said  to  have  made  considerable  proficiency  in  the  Latin 
and  Greek  languages.  He  continued  at  Inverary  till  some 
time  in  the  year  1779,  when  he  was  invited  to  spend  the  va- 
cation with  Iiis  school-fellow,  John  Campbell,  of  Airds,  near 
the  island  of  Mull;  and  in  the  following  year  he  received  an 
appointment,  whicli  would  be  deemed  extraordinary  in  this 
part  of  the  kingdom,  but  is  by  no  means  uncommon  in  Scot- 
land. This  was,  to  be  tutor  to  the  two  sons  of  Mr.  Camp- 
bell of  Dunstafnage,  one  of  whom  was,  in  the  year  1803. 
Captain  of  the  East  India  Company's  ship.  United  Kingdom. 
As  he  liad  then  only  just  completed  his  lith  year,  his  lite- 
rary acquirements  can  scarcely  be  expected  to  have  been 
extensive.  Yet  the  very  appointment  to  such  an  office,  at  so 
early  an  age,  is  in  itself  honourable  to  his  character,  and  his 
continuance  in  it  during  nearly  two  years  may  suffice  to 
shew,  that  his  conduct  proved  satisfactory  to  his  employer. 
About  this  time  he  was  again  under  considerable  impres- 
sions of  a  religious  nature,  which  he  communicated  to  his 
excellent  grandfather,  who  carefully  cherished  them,  and 
assured  him  of  his  prayers.  For  a  few  months  he  continued 
in  this  promising  course,  spending  much  time  in  devotion 
amidst  the  rocks  on  the  sea-sliore  near  whiclr  he  was  then 
residing  :  but  at  length  his  serious  thoughts  were  dissipated 
by  the  society  of  an  irreligious  companion,  and  his  good- 
ness, like  tl)at  of  many  a  hopeful  youtli,  vanished  "  as  a 
*<  morning  cloud,  and  as  the  early  dew  ;'*  nor  was  it  till 
many  years  afterwards,  that  painful  and  salutary  conviction.s 
led  him  to  seek  that  God  wliose  early  invitations  he  had  un- 
gratefully refused. 

The  residence  of  Buchanan  at  Dunstafnage  might  proba 
bly  have  been  longer,  had  it  not  interfered  with  a  necessary 
attention  to  the  progress  of  his  own  education.  In  the  year 
1782  he  therefore  left  the  family  of  Mr.  Campbell,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  the  University  of  Glasgow,-  where  he  remained 
during  that  and  the  following  year,  diligently  pursuing  the 


ao  MEMOIRS  OF 

various  studies  of  the  place.  Whether  his  academical  course 
was  interrupted  hy  the  failure  of  his  pecuniary  resources, 
or  was  the  result  of  deliberation  and  choice,  is  uncertain. 
It  appears  only  that  he  left  Glasgow  in  the  year  1784,  and 
went  to  the  Island  of  Islay,  for  the  purpose  of  becoming 
tutor  to  the  sons  of  Mr.  Campbell  of  Knockmelly.  In  the 
following  year,  from  some  cause,  obviously  not  unfavourable 
to  his  character,  we  find  him  removed  to  Carradell  in  Kin- 
tyre,  and  performing  the  same  office  to  the  sons  of  Mr. 
Campbell  of  that  place.  In  the  year  1786,  however,  Bu- 
chanan returned  to  the  college  at  Glasgow  ;  and  a  certificate 
in  that  year,  from  the  Professor  of  Logic,  testifies  not  only 
that  he  had  regularly  attended  upon  the  public  lectures  of 
that  class,  but  that,  in  the  usual  examination  and  exercises, 
lie  had  given  commendable  proofs  of  attention,  diligence, 
and  success  in  the  prosecution  of  his  studies ;  and  that  he 
had  behaved  with  all  suitable  propriety  of  conduct  and  man- 
ners. At  the  conclusion  of  the  academical  session  he  re- 
turned to  Carradell,  and  resumed  his  employment  as  a 
tutor;  in  which  capacity  it  is  presumed  that  he  continued 
until  the  commencement  of  the  autumn  in  the  following 
year ;  when  he  quitted  his  native  country,  under  very  sin- 
gular circumstances,  and  entered  upon  a  project,  on  which, 
as  it  afterwards  appeared,  depended  the  future  tenor  of  his 
life.  '* 

Mr.  Buchanan  had,  from  his  earliest  years,  been  intended 
by  his  parents  for  the  ministry  in  the  Church  of  Scotland  : 
but  being  naturally  of  an  ardent  and  excursive  turn  of  mind, 
he  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  during  his  first  residence  in  the 
University  of  Glasgow,  conceived  the  design  of  making  the 
tour  of  Europe  on  foot;  that  being  the  only  method  of  tra- 
velling, upon  which  his  slender  finances  would  allow  him  to 
calculate.  His  chief  view  in  this  romantic  project  was, 
doubtless,  to  see  the  world  ;  yet  not,  as  he  afterwards  de- 
clared, without  some  vague  and  undefined  intention  of  apply- 
ing the  information,  which  he  might  collect  during  his  tour, 
to  some  useful  purpose.  It  was  not,  however,  till  nearly 
four  years  afterwards,  during  which,  as  we  have  seen,  he 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  gi 

was  diligently  employed  in  acquiring  and  imparting  know- 
ledge, that  a  circumstance  occurred,  which,  though  it  did 
not  originally  suggest  this  design,  certainly  tended  to  hasten 
his  departure  from  Scotland.^  This  was  an  imprudent  at- 
tachment to  a  young  lady,  who  happened  to  be  on  a  \isit  to 
the  family  in  wliich  he  was  then  residing,  and  who  was  su- 
perior to  himself  in  birth  and  fortune.  The  affection  was 
mutual,  but  the  disparity  of  their  rank  and  station  seemed 
to  form  an  insuperable  barrier  to  their  union.  Mr.  Buchan- 
an became  in  consequence  very  unhappy,  and  in  the  height 
of  his  passion  recurred  to  his  favourite  and  long-cherished 
plan  of  a  foreign  tour ;  in  the  course  of  which,  with  all 
the  sanguine  expectation  and  the  inexperience  incident  to 
his  feelings  and  his  age,  he  hoped  to  advance  his  fortune, 
and  returning  to  his  native  country,  to  obtain  the  object  of 
his  wishes.  Strange  and  unpromising  as  this  project  un- 
doubtedly was,  he  was  eager  to  accomplish  it.  But  though 
his  thoughtless  ardour  reconciled  him  to  the  culpable  ex- 
pedient of  deceiving  his  parents,  he  was  unwilling  to  leave 
them  clandestinely.  For  the  purpose,  therefore,  both  of 
a' oiding  any  opposition  to  his  scheme,  and  of  relieving  them 
from  uneasiness,  he  invented  a  story,  which,  engaged  as 
he  had  long  been  in  tuition,  seemed  by  no  means  impro- 
bable. He  pretended  that  he  had  been  invited  by  an  English 
gentleman  to  accompany  his  son  upon  a  tour  to  the  conti- 
nent; and  as  this  engagement  not  only  offered  some  present 
advantages,  but  held  out  flattering  hopes  of  his  future  ad- 
vancement in  life,  not  inconsistent  with  their  original  inten- 
tions, his  friends  consented  to  the  proposal,  and  permitted 
him  to  leave  Scotland.  Of  this  singular  expedition,  and  of 
his  subsequent  history  during  several  years,  Mr.  Buchanan 
long  afterwards  gave  several  distinct  but  consistent  nar- 
ratives, from  whicli  the  following  account  is  extracted. 
After  briefly  mentioning  the  circumstances  which  have  been 
previously  stated  respecting  his  education  and  studies,  and 

h  A  very  different  account  of  the  circumstances,  which  led  to  Mr.  Buchanan's 
emigration  from  his  native  country,  has  been  given  to  the  world  :  but  the  publif 
may  be  assured,  that  it  is  entirely  devoid  of  foundation  ia  fact. 


^^  MEMOIRS  OF 

the  scheme  which  he  had  devised  for  effectin!;?  his  departure 
from  his  native  country  and  friends,  and  his  intended  travels 
upon  the  continent,  Mr.  Buchanan  sugj^csts  tlie  ohvious 
question,  how  he  was  to  accomplish  such  a  plan,  destitute 
as  he  was  of  pecuniary  resources.  To  this  he  replies,  that 
the  greater  his  difficulties  were,  the  more  romantic  would 
his  tour  appear ;  and  then  proceeds  as  follows. 

« I  had  the  example  of  the  celebrated  Dr.  Goldsmith 
'*  before  mc,  who  travelled  through  Europe  on  foot,  and  sup- 
*(  ported  liimself  by  playing  on  his  flute.  I  could  play  a  little 
<<  on  the  violin,  and  on  this  I  relied  for  occasional  support 
»« during  my  long  and  various  travels. 

^«  In  August  1787,  having  put  on  plain  clothes,  becoming 
«  my  apparent  situation,  I  left  Edinburgh  on  foot  with  the 
«<  intention  of  travelling  to  London,  and  thence  to  the  conti- 
<*  nent :  that  very  violin  which  I  now  have,  and  the  case 
«  which  contains  it,  I  had  under  my  arm,  and  thus  I  travel- 
"  led  onward.  After  I  had  proceeded  some  days  on  my  jour- 
"  ney,  and  had  arrived  at  a  part  of  the  country  where 
«  I  thought  I  could  not  be  known,  I  called  at  gentlemen's 
*<  houses,  and  farm-houses,  where  I  was  in  general  kindly 
« lodged.  They  were  very  well  pleased  with  my  playing 
»« reels  to  them,  (for  I  played  them  better  than  I  can  now,) 
*<  and  I  sometimes  received  five  shillings,  sometimes  half  a 
««  crown,  and  sometimes  nothing  but  my  dinner.  Wherever 
(( I  went,  people  seemed  to  be  struck  a  little  by  my  appear- 
*•  ance,  particularly  if  they  entered  into  conversation  with 
»Mne.  They  were  often  very  inquisitive,  and  I  was  some- 
^<  times  at  a  loss  what  to  say.  I  professed  to  be  a  musician 
'<  travelling  through  the  country  for  his  subsistence :  but  this 
<«  appeared  very  strange  to  some,  and  they  wished  to  know 
*<  where  I  obtained  my  learning  ;  for  sometimes  pride,  and 
<f  sometimes  accident  would  call  forth  expressions,  in  the 
«  course  of  conversation,  whicli  excited  their  surprise.  I 
"  was  often  invited  to  stay  for  some  time  at  a  particular 
««  place ;  but  this  I  was  afraid  of,  lest  I  might  be  discovered. 
"  It  was  near  a  month,  I  believe,  before  I  arrived  on  the 
*f  borders  of  England,  and  in  that  time  many  singular  occur- 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  g^ 

"  rences  befel  me.  I  once  or  twice  met  persons  whom  I  had 
"  known,  and  narrowly  escaped  discovery.  Sometimes  I  had 
«  nothing  to  eat,  and  had  no  where  to  rest  at  night;  but,  not- 
"  withstanding,  I  kept  steady  to  my  purpose,  and  pursued 
''  my  Journey.  Before,  however,  I  reached  the  borders  of 
"  England  :  I  would  gladly  have  returned;  but  I  could  not: 
''  the  die  was  cast ;  my  pride  would  have  impelled  me  to  suf- 
"  fer  death,  I  think,  rather  than  to  have  exposed  my  folly; 
"  and  I  pressed  forward. 

«  When  I  arrived  at  Newcastle,  I  felt  tired  of  my  long 
"journey,  and  found  that  it  was  indeed  hard  to  live  on 
''  the  benevolence  of  others  :  I  therefore  resolved  to  proceed 
"  to  London  by  water ;  for  I  did  not  want  to  travel  in  my  own 
*^  country,  but  on  the  continent. 

<<  I  accordingly  embarked  in  a  collier  at  North  Shields, 
«  and  sailed  for  London.  On  the  third  night  of  the  voyage 
"  we  were  in  danger  of  being  cast  away,  during  a  gale  of 
•'<  wind;  and  then,  for  the  first  time,  I  began  to  reflect  seri- 
*'  ously  on  my  situation." 

During  the  violence  of  the  storm,  as  he  afterwards  ac- 
knowledged to  a  friend,  Mr.  Buchanan  felt  as  if  the  judg- 
ment of  God,  as  in  the  case  of  Jonah,  was  overtaking  him  ; 
but,  unlike  the  repenting  Prophet,  no  sooner  had  the  tempest 
of  the  elements  subsided,  than  the  agitation  of  his  mind  also 
passed  away.  He  arrived  safely  in  London  on  the  second  of 
September  :  "  but  by  this  time,"  he  continues,  in  one  of  the 
letters  referred  to,  "  my  spirits  were  nearly  exhausted  by 
*»'  distress  and  poverty.  I  now  relinquished  every  idea  of 
<•  going  abroad.  I  saw  such  a  visionary  scheme  in  its  true 
•«  light,  and  resolved,  if  possible,  to  procure  some  situation, 
*«  as  an  usher  or  clerk,  or  any  employment,  whereby  I  might 
*<  derive  a  subsistence  :  but  I  was  unsuccessful.  I  lived 
•<  sometime,  in  obscure  lodgings,  by  selling  my  clothes  and 
•»  books;  for  I  did  not  attempt  to  obtain  any  assistance  by 
«  my  skill  in  music,  lest  I  should  be  discovered  by  some  per- 
"  sons  who  might  know  me  or  my  family.  I  was  in  a  short 
« time  reduced  to  the  lowest  extreme  of  wretchedness  and 
••  want.    Alas!  I  had  not  sometimes  bread  to  eat.   Little  did 


24  MEMOIRS  OF 

*•  my  mother  think,  when  she  dreamt,  that  she  saw  her  son 
•'  fatigued  with  his  wanderings,  and  oppressed  with  a  load 
••  of  woe,  glad  to  lie  down,  and  sleep  away  his  cares  on  a  lit- 
••'  tic  straw,  that  her  dream  was  so  near  the  truth  !  What  a 
*<  reverse  of  fortune  was  this!  A  few  months  hefore,  I  lived 
*»  in  splendour  and  happiness  !  But  even  in  this  extremity  of 
*•  misery  my  eyes  were  not  opened.  I  saw  indeed  my  folly, 
"  but  1  saw  not  my  sin  :  my  pride  even  then  was  unsubdued, 
<<  and  I  was  constantly  anticipating  scenes  of  future  gran- 
'^  deur,  and  indulging  myself  in  the  pleasures  of  the  imagi- 
"  nation. 

"  After  I  had  worn  out  many  months  in  this  misery,  ob- 
•<  serving  one  day  an  advertisement  in  a  newspaper,  for 
<«  a  <  clerk  to  an  attorney,'  I  offered  myself,  and  was  accept- 
<<  ed.  I  was  much  liked,  and  soon  made  friends.  I  then  ob- 
<<  tained  a  better  situation  with  another  gentleman  in  the 
"  law,  and,  lastly,  engaged  with  a  solicitor  of  respectable 
*<  character  and  connections  in  the  city,  with  whom  I  remain- 
«  ed  nearly  three  years.  During  all  this  time  I  had  suffi- 
<<  cicnt  allowance  to  appear  as  a  gentleman  ;  my  desire  for 
"  going  abroad  gradually  abated,  and  I  began  to  think  that 
"  I  should  make  the  law  my  profession  for  life.  But  during 
«  a  great  part  of  this  time  I  corresponded  with  my  friends 
«  in  Scotland,  as  from  abroad,  writing  very  rarely,  but  al- 
•<  ways  giving  my  mother  pleasing  accounts  of  my  health  and 
<«  situation." 

Notwithstanding  the  preceding  brief  observation,  that  his 
allowance  from  his  employers  enabled  him  to  make  a  gen- 
teel appearance,  there  are  various  intimations,  in  a  memo- 
randum book  kept  by  Mr.  Buchanan  during  a  part  of  this 
period,  that  he  was  frequently  a  sufferer  from  the  pressure 
of  poverty  :  nor  is  this  to  be  wondered  at,  when  it  is  known, 
tliat  tlie  utmost  salary  which  he  received  amounted  only  to 
forty  pounds  per  annum.  Accordingly,  it  appears,  from  se- 
veral notes  in  the  account  book  which  has  been  referred  to, 
that  he  was  sometimes  under  the  necessity  of  pledging  arti- 
cles of  clothing,  and  in  one  instance  his  watch,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  procuring  a  little  ready  money  ;  and  even  this  pain- 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  25 

ful  expedient  did  not  always  afford  him  such  a  supply  as  to 
prevent  him  from  occasionally  recording,  that  he  had  heen 
obliged  to  go  without  a  breakfast  or  a  supper;  and  once, 
that  he  had  neither  breakfasted  nor  dined.  It  must,  how- 
ever, be  acknowledged,  that  while  this  humble  cash  account 
is  chiefly  made  up  of  his  expenditure  upon  the  necessaries 
of  life,  Mr.  Buchanan  seems  to  have  wasted  not  a  little  of  his 
scanty  allowance  on  public  amusements ;  amongst  which  the 
theatre  frequently  occurs,  and  sometimes  debating  socie- 
ties. 

From  one  of  the  brief  memoranda  contained  in  the  pocket 
book,  from  which  the  preceding  circumstances  are  derived, 
and  which  are  chiefly  written  in  Latin,  it  appears  that  Mr. 
Buchanan's  father  died  on  the  24th  of  August  1788,  precise- 
ly a  twelvemonth  after  his  own  departure  from  Scotland. 
This  event  was  probably  communicated  to  him  by  his  excel- 
lent mother,  and  must,  it  may  be  reasonably  supposed,  have 
awakened  some  peculiarly  distressing  feelings  in  the  mind 
of  her  absent  son ;  conscious  as  he  must  have  been  of  the 
deception  which  he  was  practising  upon  their  unsuspecting 
confidence.  No  symptom,  however,  of  the  ingenuous  shame, 
which,  it  may  be  hoped,  he  could  not  but  occasionally  feel 
for  such  misconduct,  is  apparent  in  his  diary.  He  merely 
mentions,  that  his  widowed  parent  had  written  to  him  in  the 
spring  of  1789,  upon  the  mournful  subject  of  a  monument  to 
his  late  father  :  to  which  he  replied  by  a  letter,  dated  the 
12th  of  May^  from  Florence,  which  he  despatched  on  the  25th 
following.  A  subsequent  entry  notices  his  disappointment  in 
not  again  hearing  from  his  mother,  whom,  amidst  all  his 
wanderings  from  the  path  of  integrity  and  virtue,  he  evi- 
dently regarded  with  unfeigned  reverence  and  affection ; 
while  another  states  the  arrival  of  an  answer  from  her  to  a 
recent  letter  of  enquiry  from  himself,  which,  either  from  the 
favourable  account  of  his  parent's  welfare,  or  its  salutary  in- 
fluence upon  his  own  mind,  appears  to  have  afforded  him 
much  pleasure. 

It  cannot,  however,  be  a  matter  of  surprise  to  any  one, 
who  considers  the  imprudent  manner  in  which  Mr.  Buchan- 

u 


^(5  MEMOIRS  OF 

an  liad  left  his  native  country,  the  deceit  wliicli  he  was  prac- 
tising upon  his  friends,  the  faint  jn^ospect  which  he  could  rea- 
sonably entertain  of  any  considerable  success  in  tlie  world, 
and,  above  all,  the  pious  education  which  he  had  received, 
to  find,  that  the  memoranda  in  question  exhibit  frequent 
marks  of  his  inward  perplexity  and  unhappiness.    Thus,  on 
the  10th  of  May  1789,  he  records,  in  Latin,  with  an  empha- 
sis of  expression  which  evidently  proves  the  depth  and  sin- 
cerity of  the  feelings  with  which  he  wrote ;  "  I  have  lived, 
«  I  know  not  how,  in  a  state  of  forgetfulness,  or  intoxication, 
« to  this  day !"  And  on  the  15th  of  July  following,  he  briefly 
extends  the  same  painful  confession  to  that  time.     Within 
three  days  after  the  first  of  tl)cse  dates,  Mr.  Buchanan  was 
seized  with  a  severe  attack  of  fever,  during  which,  he  ob- 
serves, that  he  had  experienced,  as  might  very  naturally  be 
expected,  most  uncomfortable  reflections  on  his  present  situ- 
ation.   These,  however,  appear  to  have  made  no  deep  or 
lasting  impression  upon  him,  but,  as  in  too  many  similar  in- 
stances, to  have  vanished  with  the  temporary  alarm  which 
occasioned  them.    Accordingly  he  soon  afterwards  states, 
that  he  had  on  that  morning  written  part  of  a  letter  to  his 
mother,  and  with  the  careless  levity  which  in  irreligious 
and  impenitent  minds  returns,  when  they  are  relieved  from 
tlie  immediate  fear  of  punishment,  had  altered  his  «  plan  of 
«  death  and  misfortune,  to  that  of  fortune  and  festivity." 

He  laments  also,  that  on  his  recovery  he  had  broken  some 
salutary  resolutions  which  he  had  made  during  his  illness, 
and  adds,  with  that  fretful  and  impotent  violence  which  cha- 
racterizes those  who  are  irritated  rather  than  humbled  by 
the  consciousness  of  their  weakness,  and  are  ignorant  of  its 
oMy  effectual  remedy,  «  I  swear  I'll  do  so  no  more.  0 !  that 
"  I  knew  liow  to  persevere  in  good  resolutions,  as  well  as  to 
*<  make  them  !  This  has  been  my  failing  from  my  infancy.'' 
Who  has  not  been  compelled  to  make  the  same  humiliating 
reflection,  until  acquainted  with  Him  of  whom  the  subject  of 
these  Memoirs  was  as  yet  practically  ignorant?  without 
whom  we  can  do  nothing,  but  by  whose  gracious  assistance 
the  Christian  can  do  all  things  ' 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  ^7 

Amongst  the  various  notices  of  his  feelings  and  engage- 
ments, which  occur  in  these  memoranda,  there  are  several., 
which  prove  that,  amidst  the  incessant  lahour  of  an  employ- 
ment, which  occupied  nearly  twelve  hours  of  each  day,  Mr. 
Buchanan  occasionally  contrived  to  devote  a  part  of  his 
scanty  leisure  to  literary  pursuits.  Unhappily,  indeed,  he 
was  at  this  period  so  little  under  the  influence  of  religion, 
that  the  Sabbath  was  too  often  spent  in  the  study  of  Virgil 
and  Horace  ;  though  at  other  times  his  reading  on  that  sa- 
ered  day  appears  to  have  been  of  a  graver  nature.  But  the 
later  hours  of  his  evenings,  which  were  not  dedicated  to 
amusement,  seem  to  have  been  laudably  employed  in  storing 
his  mind  with  classical  and  general  knowledge,  and  occasion- 
ally in  improving  his  memory  by  artificial  rules  and  prac- 
tice. 

Though  the  irreligious  state,  in  which  Mr.  Buchanan  was 
at  this  time  living,  led  him  too  generally  to  neglect  public 
worship,  his  early  habits  still  induced  him  sometimes  to  en- 
ter tlie  house  of  God.  Upon  one  of  these  occasions  he  ap- 
pears to  have  been  much  struck  with  the  conduct  of  a  young- 
friend,  who  was  so  deeply  alarmed  while  the  preacher  was 
displaying  the  terrors  of  the  Lord  in  the  future  punishment 
of  the  wicked,  that  he  rose  up,  leaving  his  hat  behind  him, 
and  walked  out  of  the  church.  It  is  understood  that  Mr. 
Buchanan  considered  this  person  as  having  been  afterwards 
made  spiritually  useful  to  him. 

Two  short  notes  in  the  summer  of  the  year  1789  indicate, 
that  there  were,  even  at  that  period,  seasons  in  which  he 
thought  much  and  seriously  upon  his  own  state,  and  upon  re- 
ligious subjects  ;  during  which  his  reflections  were  some- 
times gloomy  and  desponding,  and  resembling  «  the  sighing 
"  of  the  prisoner"  for  deliverance ;  and  at  others  cheered 
by  a  faint  and  distant  hope  of  one  day  enjoying,  through  the 
infinite  grace  of  God,  the  comforts  of  religion. 

In  the  following  year  some  traces  occur,  in  the  brief  jour- 
nal from  which  the  preceding  circumstances  are  extracted, 
of  pious  feeling  in  his  mind.  He  notices  a  religious  conver- 
sation w  ith  a  friend,  and  adds,  that  he  had  in  consequence 


^3  MEMOIRS  OF 

thought  seriously  of  a  reformation.  He  mentions  emphatic- 
ally of  a  season  of  private  prayer,  and  his  intention  of  pur- 
chasing a  new  Bible,  when  he  could  afford  it;  and  while  he 
confesses  on  one  occasion,  with  evident  regret,  his  disincli- 
nation to  religion,  and  alleges  as  one  of  the  immediate 
causes,  or  symptoms,  of  this  evil,  the  indulgence  of  morning 
slumbers,  he  observes,  on  another,  that  he  had  declined  the 
invitation  of  a  friend  to  a  visit  in  the  country  on  the  follow- 
ing Sunday,  upon  religious  principle,  though  he  did  not  at 
the  moment  distinctly  avow  it.  All  these  are  circumstances 
indicative  of  a  mind  awaking  from  the  deadly  sleep  of  sin 
to  the  life  of  righteousness,  and  introductory  to  that  impor- 
tant change  of  sentiment  and  conduct  which  was  now  ap- 
proaching. 

It  is  possible,  indeed,  that  some  may  be  at  a  loss  to  under- 
stand the  meaning  of  this  language,  or  to  conceive  the  ne- 
cessity of  any  other  alteration  in  the  religious  character  of 
Mr.  Buchanan,  than  the  correction  of  a  few  venial  errors 
and  trifling  irregularities,  or  the  supply  of  certain  obvious 
omissions  in  his  conduct.    The  determination  of  this  ques- 
tion must  undoubtedly  depend  upon  the  general  views  of 
those  who  consider  it.     In  proportion  as  the  standard  of 
practical  religion  is  either  elevated  or  depressed,  will  be  the 
judgment  of  every  one  as  to  the  actual  state,  at  this  period 
of  his  life,  of  the  subject  of  these  Memoirs.    If  slight  view^s 
are  entertained  of  the  evil  of  sin,  of  the  guilt,  misery,  and 
danger  of  a  sensual  and  worldly  life,  and  of  the  nature  and 
extent  of  Christian  faith  and  holiness,  the  moral  and  religi- 
ous deficiencies  of  Mr.  Buchanan  will  certainly  appear  tri- 
vial and  unimportant.    But  if,  as  the  Scriptures  unequivo- 
cally assert,  to  live  in  the  habitual  neglect  of  Almighty  God, 
though  a  formal  acknowledgment  of  his  being  and  attributes 
may  be  professed,  is  virtual  impiety ;  to  avow  the  name  of 
Christian,  but  to  refuse  tlie  homage  of  the  heart  to  Jesus 
Christ  as  a  Saviour,  is  real  unbelief;  and  occasionally  to  in- 
dulge in  wilful  sin,  thougli  the  external  manners  may  be 
decent  and  correct,  is  practical  ungodliness;  then  was  it 
evidently  necessary,  that  a  great  and  radical  change  should 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  S9 

be  effected  in  Mr.  Bucliauaii's  dispositions  and  conduct; 
then  was  it  essential  to  his  present  and  future  happiness, 
that  he  should  "  repent  and  believe  the  Gospel.*' 

That  this  was  the  conviction  of  Mr.  Buchanan  himself, 
unquestionably  the  most  competent  judge  of  this  interesting 
subject,  plainly  appears  from  his  own  declarations  in  the 
letters  from  which  some  preceding  extracts  have  been  made. 
*<  Since  my  coming  to  London,"  he  observes,  «  until  June 
*<  last,  I  led  a  very  dissipated,  irreligious  life.  Some  gross 
*<  sins  I  avoided  ;  but  pride  was  in  my  heart ;  I  profaned  the 
•<  Lord's  day  without  restraint,  and  never  thought  of  any  re- 
"  ligious  duty.  Thus  I  lived  till  within  these  few  months  ; 
«  exactly  three  years  since  my  voluntary  banishment  from 
"  my  native  country ;  three  tedious  years  !  and  for  any  thing 
«  I  could  have  done  myself,  I  might  have  remained  in  the 
«  same  state  for  thirty  years  longer.  But  the  period  was 
«  now  arrived,  when  the  mercy  of  God,  which  had  always 
«  accompanied  me,  was  to  be  manifested  in  a  singular  man- 
"  ner.  1  had  a  very  strong  sense  of  religion  when  I  was 
*«  about  the  age  of  fourteen ;  and  I  used  often  to  reflect  on 
<«  that  period  :  but  I  had  not,  I  believe,  the  least  idea  of  the 
<«  nature  of  the  Gospel.  It  was  in  the  year  1790  that  my 
«  heart  w^s  first  effectually  impressed,  in  consequence  of  an 
<<  acquaintance  with  a  religious  young  man." 

Of  the  person  thus  briefly  mentioned,  and  of  the  important 
effects  which  resulted  from  one  remarkable  meeting  with 
him,  the  following  is  a  more  distinct  and  detailed  account. 

«  In  the  month  of  June  last,"  observes  Mr.  Buchanan, 
writing  in  February  1791,  ««  on  a  Sunday  evening,  a  gentle- 
«  man  of  my  acquaintance  called  upon  me.  I  knew  him  to 
•<  be  a  serious  young  man,  and  out  of  complaisance  to  him  I 
« gave  the  conversation  a  religious  turn.  Among  other 
« things,  I  asked  him,  whether  he  believed  that  there  was 
«<  such  a  thing  as  divine  grace ;  whether  or  not  it  was  a  fie- 
«*  tion  imposed  by  grave  and  austere  persons  from  their  own 
«  fancies.  He  took  occasion  from  this  enquiry  to  enlarge 
"  much  upon  the  subject ;  he  spoke  witli  zeal  and  earnest- 
*<  ness,  and  chiefly  in  Scripture  language,  and  concluded 


20  MEMOIRS  OF 

**  with  a  very  affecting  address  to  the  conscience  and  tlie 
<<  heart.  I  had  not  the  least  desire,  that  I  recollect,  of  be- 
*«  ing  benefited  by  this  conversation  ;  but  while  he  spoke,  I 
<<  listened  to  him  with  earnestness ;  and  before  I  was  aware, 
<«  a  most  powerful  impression  was  made  upon  my  mind,  and 
"  I  conceived  the  instant  resolution  of  reforming  my  lifp. 
«  On  that  evening  I  had  an  engagement  which  I  could  not 
"  now  approve  :  notwithstanding  what  had  passed,  however, 
'^  I  resolved  to  go ;  but  as  I  went  along,  and  had  time  to  re- 
"  fleet  on  what  I  had  heard,  I  half  wished  that  it  might  not 
<«  be  kept.  It  turned  out  as  I  desired  :  I  hurried  home,  and 
^«  locked  myself  up  in  my  chamber  ;  I  fell  on  my  knees,  and 
<^  endeavoured  to  pray  ;  but  I  could  not.  I  tried  again,  but 
*<  I  was  not  able ;  I  thought  it  was  an  insult  to  God  for  me 
<<  to  pray  ;  I  reflected  on  my  past  sins  with  horror,  and  spent 
"  the  night  I  know  not  how.  The  next  day  my  fears  wore 
«  off*  a  little,  but  they  soon  returned.  I  anxiously  awaited 
"  the  arrival  of  Sunday  ;  but  when  it  came,  I  found  no  re- 
<<  lief.  After  some  time,  I  communicated  my  situation  to  my 
*«  religious  friend  :  he  prayed  with  me,  and  next  Sunday  I 
"  went  with  him  to  hear  an  eminent  minister.  This  was  a 
<f  great  relief  to  me  ;  I  thought  I  had  found  a  physician : 
f'  but,  alas !  though  I  prayed  often  every  day,  and  often  at 
"  night,  listlessness  and  languor  seized  me.  Sometimes 
«  hope,  sometimes  fear  presented  itself,  and  I  became  very 
«  uncomfortable.  Going  one  morning  to  a  bath,  I  found  on 
«  a  shelf  Doddridge's  Rise  and  Progress  of  Religion  in  the 
«  Soul.  This  book  I  thought  just  suited  me.  I  accordingly 
<<  read  it  with  deep  attention,  and  prayed  over  it.  I  next 
*f  procured  Alleine's  Alarm  to  the  Unconverted,  and  dwelt 
«  on  it  for  some  time.  My  religious  friend  then  gave  me 
"  Boston's  Fourfold  State.  This  I  read  carefully,  and  I 
•^  hope  it  did  me  some  good.  I  now  secluded  myself  entire- 
« ly  from  my  companions  on  Sunday ;  and  during  the  week, 
<«  the  moment  business  was  done,  I  went  home  to  my  stu- 
«^  dies  ;  and  have  since  wholly  withdrawn  myself  from  plea- 
'<  sure  and  amusement.  In  this  manner  have  I  passed  the 
<«  seven  last  months,  continually  praying  for  a  new  heart. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  31 

*•  and  a  more  perfect  discovery  of  my  sins.  Sometimes  I 
<^  think  I  am  advancing  a  little,  at  others  I  fear  I  am  farther 
"  from  heaven  than  ever.  O  the  prevalence  of  habit!  It  is 
<*  not  without  reason  that  it  has  been  sometimes  called  a  se- 
"  cond  nature.  Nothing  but  the  hand  of  the  Almighty  who 
*^  created  me  can  change  my  heart. 

"  About  two  months  ago  I  wrote  my  mother  some  particu- 
<«  lars  of  my  state,  and  requested  her  prayers,  for  she  is  a 
<*  pious  woman.  In  her  answer,  written  by  my  sister,  is  the 
*<  following  passage,  <  My  mother  has  heard  much  of  Mr. 
<«  Newton,  Rector  of  St.  Mary  Woolnoth,  London,  and  wish- 
«  es  that  you  would  cultivate' an  acquaintance  with  him,  if 
"  it  is  in  your  power.' " 

It  was,  in  fact,  to  this  venerable  man,  that  the  letter, 
from  which  these  as  well  as  some  preceding  extracts  have 
been  made,  was  addressed.  Nor  must  the  occasion  be  omit- 
ted of  paying  a  passing  tribute  of  respect  to  the  memory  of 
that  eminently  pious  and  useful  minister  of  Jesus  Christ. 
The  chosen  and  highly  valued  friend  of  Cowper  could  not 
indeed  have  been  a  common  or  uninteresting  character.  He 
Avas,  in  truth,  far  otherwise.  However  a  world,  incapable 
of  appreciating  spiritual  excellence,  may  be  disposed  to  treat 
his  faith  as  a  delusion,  and  his  character  as  enthusiastic,  the 
history  of  Mr.  Newton  will  convince  the  candid  enquirer, 
that  the  Gospel  is  still  "  the  pow  er  of  God"  to  the  conver- 
sion and  salvation  even  of  the  chief  of  sinners  ;  while  the 
unblemished  purity,  the  active  benevolence,  the  exemplary 
fidelity,  and  the  undeviating  consistency  of  a  course  of  more 
than  forty  years,  sufficiently  illustrate  the  holy  and  practi- 
cal tendency  of  the  doctrines  which  he  had  embraced  ;  and 
prove  that  the  grace  which  had  brought  peace  to  his  con- 
science, and  hope  to  his  soul,  had  at  the  same  time  effectu- 
ally taught  him  <^  to  live  soberly,  righteously,  and  godly  in 
« the  world." 

The  lively  and  substantial  interest  which  Mr.  Newton 
took  in  tlie  situation  and  welfare  of  Mr.  Buchanan,  is  one 
amongst  Tnany  other  instances  of  the  Christian  kindness 
which  habitually  warmed  his  heart.  The  person  who  was  thus 


S2  iMEMOIRS  OF 

addressing  him  was  at  that  time  an  utter  stranger.  After 
mentioning,  therefore,  some  of  the  particulars  respecting  his 
family,  and  his  early  history,  which  have  heen  already 
stated,  Mr.  Buchanan  thus  proceeds. 

"  On  the  receipt  of  my  mother's  letter,  I  immediately  re- 
*<  jSected  that  I  had  heard  there  was  a  crowded  audience  at 
'<  a  church  in  Lomhard  Street.  Thither  I  accordingly  went 
*'  the  next  Sunday  evening ;  and  when  you  spoke,  I  thought 
"I  heard  the  words  of  eternal  life ;  I  listened  with  avidi- 
"  ty,  and  wished  that  you  had  preached  till  midnight." 
Mr.  Buchanan  laments,  however,  that  this  pleasing  impres- 
sion was  too  soon  effaced  ;  and  that,  although  he  constantly 
attended  Mr.  Newton's  sermons  with  raised  expectations 
and  sanguine  hopes  tiiat  he  should  one  day  be  relieved 
from  the  burthen  which  then  oppressed  his  mind,  he  had 
hitherto  been  disappointed.  *<  But,"  he  adds,  with  genuine 
humility,  "  I  have  now  learned  how  unreasonable  was  such 
*'  an  early  expectation :  I  have  been  taught  to  wait  patiently 
"  upon  God,  who  waited  so  long  for  we." 

"  You  say,"  he  continues,  "  many  things  that  touch  my 
"  heart  deeply,  and  I  trust  your  ministry  has  been  in  some 
*<  degree  blessed  to  me  :  but  your  subjects  are  generally  ad- 
*f  dressed  to  those  who  are  already  established  in  the  faith, 
"  or  to  those  who  have  not  sought  God  at  all.  Will  you 
<«  then  drop  one  word  to  me  ?  If  there  is  any  comfort  in  the 
*«  word  of  life  for  such  as  I  am,  0  shed  a  little  of  it  on  my 
*«  heart.  And  yet  I  am  sensible  that  1  am  not  prepared  to 
♦*  receive  that  comfort.  My  sins  do  not  affect  me  as  I  wish, 
*<  All  that  I  can  speak  of  is  a  strong  desire  to  be  converted 
*f  to  my  God.  0  sir,  what  shall  I  do  to  inherit  eternal  life  ? 
"  I  see  clearly  that  I  cannot  be  happy  in  any  degree,  even 
"  in  this  life,  until  I  make  my  peace  with  God :  but  how 
««  shall  I  make  tliat  peace  ?  If  the  world  were  my  inherit- 
"  ance,  I  would  sell  it,  to  purchase  that  pearl  of  great 
"  price. 

"  How  I  weep  when  I  read  of  the  prodigal  son  as  descri- 
«  bed  by  our  Lord !    I  would  walk  many  miles  to  hear  a 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  33 

«  sermon  from  the  12tli  and  13Jh  verses  of  the  thirty-third 
*<  chapter  of  the  second  book  of  Chronicles.^" 

After  apoloi^izing  for  thiis  intruding  upon  one  to  whose 
attention  he  had  no  personal  claim,  Mr.  Buchanan  concludes 
as  follows. 

«  My  heart  is  overburthened  with  grief,  and  greatly  does 
"  it  distress  me,  that  I  must  impart  my  sorrows  to  him  who 
«  has  so  much  himself  to  bear.^  My  frequent  prayer  to  God 
"  is,  that  he  would  grant  you  strong  consolation.  To-mor- 
«  row  is  the  day  you  have  appointed  for  a  sermon  to  young 
*<  people.  Will  you  remember  we,  and  speak  some  suitable 
f(  word,  that  by  the  aid  of  the  blessed  Spirit  may  reach  my 
«  heart  ?  Whatever  becomes  of  me,  or  of  my  labours,  I  pray 
«  God  that  you  may  prove  successful  in  your  ministry,  and 
«*  that  your  labours  may  be  abundantly  blessed." 

The  preceding  letter  was  addressed  to  Mr.  Newton  anony- 
mously  ;  but  so  simply,  yet  so  forcibly  does  it  describe  the 
state  of  a  penitent,  awakened  to  a  just  apprehension  of  his 
sin  and  folly,  and  earnestly  desiring  relief,  that  it  could  not 
fail  to  excite  in  the  mind  of  a  man  of  so  much  Christian 
benevolence,  a  degree  of  lively  sympathy  with  the  feelings, 
and  of  interest  in  the  welfare,  of  the  writer.  His  letter, 
however,  being  not  only  without  any  signature,  but  without 
any  reference  to  the  place  of  his  residence,  the  only  method 
which  occurred  to  Mr.  Newton  of  conveying  any  reply  to 
him  was,  by  giving  notice  in  his  church,  that  if  the  person 
who  had  written  to  him  anonymously  on  such  a  day  were 
present,  and  would  call  upon  him,  he  should  be  happy  to 
converse  with  him  on  the  subject  of  his  communication.  This 
intimation  Mr.  Newton  accordingly  gave,  and  an  early 
interview  in  consequence  took  place  between  them. 

"  I  called  on  him,"  says  Mr.  Buchanan,  in  a  letter  to  his 
mother,  «  on  the  Tuesday  following,  and  experienced  such 

a  The  following  are  the  affecting  verses  alluded  to  hy  Mr.  Buchanan  :  "And 
"  when  he  was  in  afflicUon,  he  besought  the  Lord  his  God,  and  humbled  himself 
«  greatly  before  the  God  of  his  fathers,  and  prayed  unto  him :  and  he  was  entreated 
"of  him,  and  heard  his  supplication." 

b  Mr.  Newton  was  at  this  time  suffering  under  one  of  the  severest  domestic 
calamities. 

E 


34?  MExMOIRS  OF 

**  a  happy  hour  as  I  ought  not  to  forget.  If  he  had  been  my 
"  father,  lie  eould  not  have  expressed  more  solicitude  for  my 
»*  welfare. 

'*  Mr.  Newton  encouraged  me  much.  He  put  into  my 
"  hands  the  narrative  of  his  life,  and  some  of  his  letters  ; 
*i  begged  my  cai'cful  perusal  of  them  before  I  saw  him  again. 
'•  and  gave  me  a  general  invitation  to  breakfast  with  him 
**  when  and  as  often  as  1  could." 

Of  the  meeting  immediately  subsequent  to  this  first  inter 
view  no  account  has  been  preserved.     That  it  was  mutually 
pleasing  and  satisfactory,  is  evident  from  the  intercourse 
which  afterwards  took  place  between  them,  and  which  was 
ultimately  productive  of  such  important  consequences. 

"  I  cultivated,"  says  Mr.  Buchanan,  «  a  close  acquaint- 
«  ance  with  Mr.  Newton,  and  he  soon  professed  a  great 
*<  regard  for  me." 

The  grand  subject,  which  would  of  coHrse  immediately 
occupy  the  attention  of  both,  was  the  reality  and  the  com- 
pletion of  the  recent  change  in  the  moral  and  religious  cha- 
racter of  Mr.  Buchanan.  Though  the  public  and  private 
instructions  of  Mr.  Newton  would,  from  his  well  known 
views  of  Christian  doctrine,  incline  him  to  exhibit  to  the 
awakened  and  trembling  penitent  the  free  and  full  forgive- 
ness of  the  Gospel,  he  would  doubtless  urge  with  equal  so- 
lemnity and  earnestness  the  necessity  of  ascertaining  the 
sincerity  of  his  repentance,  the  genuineness  of  his  faith,  and 
the  stability  of  his  resolutions  of  obedience  to  the  divine 
precepts.  That  such  was  the  general  tenor  of  the  counsel 
which  was  imparted  upon  these  occasions,  plainly  appears 
from  several  succeeding  letters  of  Mr.  Buchanan  ;  and 
though  it  is  to  be  lamented  that  those  ol  his  pious  correspon- 
dent to  which  he  refers  are  not  now  to  be  found,  it  is  evident, 
from  various  traces  of  their  contents,  that  they  were  admi» 
rably  calculated  to  relieve  thii  distress,  to  remove  the  diffi- 
culties, and  to  direct  the  conduct  of  his  new  disciple. 

Thus  in  the  venerable  person  to  whom  the  providence  of 
God  had  introduced  him,  Mr.  Buchanan  found  an  enlighten- 
ed and  experienced  guide,  a  wise  and  faithful  counsellor. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  35 

and  at  length  a  steady  and  affectionate  friend  ;  while  the 
latter  discovered  in  the  stranger  who  had  heen  so  remark- 
ahly  made  known  to  him,  one  wlio  displayed  talents  and  dis- 
positions which  appeared  to  him  capable  of  being  beneficially 
employed  in  the  service  of  their  common  Lord  and  Master. 

Before  we  proceed,  however,  with  the  narrative  of  their 
future  intercourse,  it  may  not  be  unnecessary  to  offer  a  few 
observations  respecting  the  change  in  the  religions  and 
moral  dispositions  of  Mr.  Buchanan,  which  has  been  thus 
particularly  described,  for  the  purpose  of  obviating  some 
probable  objections  and  misapprehensions  upon  this  subject. 

It  is  possible,  on  tlie  one  hand,  that  some  may  perceive  in 
Mr.  Buchanan's  ingenuous  statement,  little  more  than  an 
example  of  that  sudden  and  enthusiastic  conversion,  which 
it  is  so  much  the  custom  to  ridicule  and  to  decry ;  while, 
on  the  other,  an  equally  numerous  class  of  readers  may  be 
inclined  to  think  that  the  circumstances  thus  related  are 
easily  to  be  accounted  for,  and  little  to  be  regarded.  The 
one,  in  short,  may  be  disposed  to  treat  the  wliole  as  vision- 
ary and  delusive ;  the  other,  as  weak  and  unimportant. 

In  reply  to  the  former  of  these  objections,  it  may  be  ob- 
served, that,  even  admitting  the  change  in  question  to  have 
been  sudden,  it  does  not  necessarily  follow  that  it  was  enthu- 
siastic and  visionary.  "I  do  not  in  the  smallest  degree," 
says  a  peculiarly  calm  and  cautious  writer,*  "  mean  to  un- 
"  dervalue,  or  speak  lightly  of  such  changes,  w  henever,  or 
*^  in  whomsoever  they  take  place  ;  nor  to  deny  tliat  they 
"  may  be  sudden,  yet  lasting;  nay,  I  am  rather  inclined  to 
«« think  that  it  is  in  this  manner  that  they  frequently  do 
*«  take  place."  But  in  the  present  case,  sudden  as  that  im- 
pression appears  to  have  been,  which  was  tlie  turning  point 
in  the  mind  of  Mr.  Buchanan  between  a  life  of  sin  and  of 
religion,  between  the  world  and  God,  it  was  neither  the 
first  nor  the  last  which  he  experienced  ;  but  one  of  many 
previous  convictions,  which  had  been  comparatively  ineffec- 
tual, and  of  many  subsequent  influences,  which  issued  in  the 
real  conversion  of  his  heart  to  God,  and  which  continued 

*  Dr.  Paley,  Sermons^  p.  123, 


36  MEMOIRS  OF 

through  his  future  course  to  establish  and  edify  him  in 
Christian  faith  and  holiness.  The  substantial  effects  which 
followed  sufficiently  rescue  the  impressions  which  have  been 
described  from  the  imputation  of  enthusiasm,  and  vindicate 
their  claim  to  a  more  legitimate  and  divine  origin. 

If  the  spiritual  change,  however,  which  has  been  thus  ex- 
plained, is  acknowledged  by  some  to  have  been  devoid  of 
any  thing  delusive  or  visionary,  it  may  still  perhaps  be  con- 
sidered by  others  as  neither  extraordinary  nor  important. 
The  religious  education  of  Mr.  Buchanan,  it  may  be 
alleged,  might  naturally  have  been  expected  to  lead  at  some 
period  of  his  life  to  such  a  result ;  and  the  cliange  in  his 
character  and  conduct  was  only  such  as  a  regard  to  truth 
and  propriety  absolutely  required. 

The  early  associations  and  habits  of  Mr.  Buchanan  un- 
doubtedly favoured  the  hope  that  he  would  eventually  become 
a  real  Christian :  but  their  very  inefficacy  in  restraining 
him  during  several  years  from  a  course  of  insincerity, 
vanity,  and  sin,  is  alone  sufficient  to  prove  that  nothing  short 
of  that  divine  influence,  to  which  he  ascribed  his  conver- 
sion, could  at  once  have  convinced  his  understanding,  and 
changed  and  purified  his  heart.  With  respect  to  the  extent 
and  importance  of  this  change,  it  must  not  be  estimated 
solely  by  the  reformation  of  his  external  conduct,  striking 
and  decisive  as  it  was :  merely  moral  or  prudential  con- 
siderations might,  perhaps,  have  been  sufficiently  powerful 
to  have  produced  such  an  improvement.  But  how  many, 
who  either  never  deviated  into  what  is  grossly  immoral,  or 
whom  inferior  motives  may  have  reclaimed  from  such  a 
course,  are,  nevertheless,  unconscious  of  the  spirituality  of 
that  divine  law,  which  reaches  to  the  thoughts  and  intents  of 
the  heart,  and  consequently  of  those  innumerable  transgres- 
sions of  its  pure  and  extensive  demands,  and  of  that  inward 
corruption  and  weakness,  which  lead  the  awakened  mind  to 
the  deepest  humiliation  and  repentance,  and  prepare  it  to 
embrace  with  lively  gratitude  the  forgiveness  and  grace  of 
the  Gospel  !  How  many  also,  who  are  exemplary,  perhaps, 
in  social  and  relative  duties,  are  yet  destitute  of  any  thing 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  37 

which  can  be  justly  called  the  love  of  God,  and  cannot  be 
said  to  be  actuated  by  any  specific  and  prevailing  desire  of 
pleasing  him,  or  of  living  to  his  glory  ! 

It  is,  however,  from  considerations  and  comparisons  such 
as  these,  that  the  nature  and  importance  of  the  change  which 
took  place  at  this  period  in  tlie  character  of  Mr.  Buchanan 
must  be  determined.  It  was  initial,  indeed,  but  it  was 
radical;  it  was  imperfect  in  degree,  but  universal  as  to  its 
objects  and  influence.  It  not  only  redeemed  him  from  a 
sinful  and  worldly  course,  but  gradually  introduced  him  to 
a  state  of  «« righteousness,  and  peace,  and  joy  in  the  Holy 
•«  Ghost."  It  rendered  him,  in  short,  "  a  new  creature.'' 
He  felt  thfe  powerful  influence  of  the  love  of  Christ ;  and 
cordially  acquiescing  in  the  unanswerable  reasoning  of  the 
great  Apostle,  "  that  if  one  died  for  all,  then  were  all 
<f  dead,'!"  he  resolved  no  longer  to  live  unto  himself,  ^«but 
*«unto  Him  that  died  for  him,  and  rose  again." 

Such  was  the  change,  which  by  the  effiectual  grace  of 
God  was  produced  in  the  subject  of  these  Memoirs ;  and 
such  will  be  found  to  have  been  its  practi^I  results  in  his 
subsequent  life  and  conduct.  To  the  developement,  there- 
fore, of  these,  as  affording  its  most  satisfactory  vindication 
and  illustration,  let  us  next  proceed. 

d  2  Cor.  V.  14—16. 


SS  MEMOIRS  OF 


CHAPTER  II. 

ABOUT  a  fortnight  after  the  date  of  his  first  letter,  Mr. 
Buchauan  again  wrote  to  Mr.  Newton,  for  the  purpose  ol 
communicating  to  him  a  strong  inclination,  whieli  he  liad 
lately  felt,  to  revert  to  the  profession  for  which  he  was  ori- 
ginally designed. 

>«  Yesterday  morning,"  he  observes,  <«  I  went  to  hear  Dr. 
•<  S.  Near  the  conclusion  of  the  service,  I  was  insensibljy' 
*«  led  to  admire  this  passage  of  the  prophet  Isaiah,  <  How 
*<  beautiful  are  the  feet  of  them  that  preach  the  Gospel  of 
♦«  peace  !'  It  occurred  to  me,  that  that  enviable  office  was 
♦«  once  designed  for  mc ;  that  I  was  called  to  the  ministry, 
*'  as  it  were,  from  my  infancy.  For  my  pious  grandfather 
"  chose  me  from  among  my  mother's  children  to  live  with, 
**  himself.  He  adopted  me  as  his  own  child,  and  took  great 
<*  pleasure  in  forming  my  young  mind  to  the  love  of  God. 
<«  He  warmly  encouraged  my  ])arents'  design  of  bringing  me 
*«  up  to  the  ministry.  I  particularly  recollect  tlie  last  me- 
"  morable  occasion  of  my  seeing  this  good  grandfather. 
*<  The  first  season  of  my  being  at  college,  I  paid  him 
*<  a  visit.  He  lived  but  five  miles  from  Glasgow.  After 
"  asking  me  some  particulars  relating  to  my  studies,  he 
<*  put  the  following  question  to  me ;  <  What  end  I  had  in 
^<  view  in  becoming  a  minister  of  the  Gospel  ?'  I  liesitated  ^ 
»«  a  moment,  thinking,  I  suppose,  of  some  temporal  blessing. 
<'  But  he  put  an  answer  into  my  moutli.  '  With  a  view,  no 
<<  doubt,'  said  he,  « to  the  glory  of  God.'  I  recollect  no 
<'  otlier  particular  of  the  conversation  but  this.  It  made  a 
<«  strong  impression  on  my  mind,  and  even  often  recurred  to 
«<  my  thoughts  in  the  midst  of  my  unliappy  years;  and  last- 
*<  ly  I  thought  of  my  present  profession  and  prospect  in  life. 
«  It  suddenly  came  into  my  mind,  that  I  might  yet  be  a 
"  preacher  of  the  Gospel.  I  began  to  consider  the  obsta- 
«  cles  tliat  had  hitherto  deterred  me  from  attempting  it; 
«  but  they  appeared  to  have  vanished. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  39 

*<  These  things  passed  rapidly  through  my  mind.  I  vvon- 
*«  dered  that  I  had  not  thought  of  them  before.  Your  sug- 
"  gestion  occurred  to  me,  and  I  seemed  clearly  to  perceive 
**  the  hand  of  Providence  in  my  not  having  been  articled  to 
"  the  law.  I  now  beheld  it  as  an  unkindly  and  unprofitable 
"  study,  a  profession  I  never  cordially  liked,  and  was  thank- 
"  ful  that  I  might  shake  it  off  when  I  pleased.  These  re- 
"  flections  filled  me  with  delight,  and  as  I  walked  home,  the 
"sensation  increased;  so  that  by  the  time  I  entered  my 
<<  chamber,  my  spirits  were  overpowered,  and  I  fell  on  my 
<*  knees  before  God,  and  wept.  What  shall  I  say  to  these 
"  things?  At  first  I  feared  this  change  of  sentiment  might 
"  be  some  idle  whim  that  would  soon  vanish.  But  when  I 
"  began  to  deliberate  calmly,  reason  pleaded  that  the  plan 
•<  was  possible ;  and  the  wisdom  and  power  of  God,  and  my 
"  love  to  him,  pleaded  that  it  was  probable.  I  thought  that 
"  I,  who  had  experienced  so  much  of  the  divine  mercy,  was 
*«  peculiarly  engaged  to  declare  it  to  others.  After  fervent 
,<«  prayer,  1  endeavoui*ed  to  commit  myself  and  my  services 
"  into  the  hands  of  Him  who  alone  is  able  to  direct  me. 

"  This  day  I  still  cherish  the  idea  with  delight.  But  I  am 
"  much  discouraged  wiien  I  reflect  on  my  weak  abilities, 
"  my  slender  knowledge,  my  defective  expression,  and  my 
"  advanced  age.  I  am  now  four  and  twenty  ;  and  if  I  pro- 
"  secute  this  new  desire,  I  must  return  to  the  studies  oi 
«  fourteen." 

At  the  close  of  this  letter,  Mr.  Buchanan  expresses  the 
lively  interest  with  which  he  had  read  Mr.  Newton's  narra- 
tive of  his  own  life.  «-  I  am  the  person,"  he  says,  "  out  of 
"  ten  thousand,  who  can  read  it  aright ;  for  I  can  read  it 
"  with  self-application.  What  a  balm  to  a  wounded  con- 
"science  are  your  healing  leaves!  To-day  I  have  felt  a 
"  tranquillity  of  mind  to  which  I  have  been  long  a  stranger. 
«  I  trust  this  peace  has  a  right  foundation." 

It  appears  that  upon  an  early  interview  with  Mr.  Newton, 
in  consequence  of  the  preceding  letter,  he  warmly  approved 
the  rising  disposition  of  his  young  friend  to  change  his  pro- 
fession, and  to  devote  himself  to  the  ministry  of  the  Gospel. 


40  MEMOIRS  OF 

<^  He  received  ine,''  says  Mr.  Buchanan,  <^with  open 
**  arms,  and  in  his  family  worship  remembered  me  in  a 
<«  very  affecting  manner,  and  prayed  for  the  divine  direction 
*^  in  liis  counsels  to  me.  We  then  passed  a  considerable 
*<  time  together.  He  observed,  that  this  vv^as  a  remarkable 
<<  season  with  me ;  but  that  I  must  leave  every  thing  with 
"  God ;  that  I  must  nse  tlie  means  which  he  had  appointed 
*«  for  those  who  aspire  to  his  service  ;  that  I  must  devote  the 
*<  principal  part  of  my  leisure  hours  to  meditation  and  pray- 
<<  er,  and  the  remainder  to  the  study  of  the  languages ;  that 
"  I  must  persevere  in  this  course  for  a  considerable  timej 
^<  and  then,  if  it  pleased  God,  he  would  open  a  door  to  me. 
"  In  the  mean  time,"  added  Mr.  Newton,  <<  I  would  advise 
"  you  to  acquaint  your  mother  with  every  circumstance  of 
**  your  situation,  and  to  request,  in  the  first  instance,  her 
*^  advice  and  approbation." 

To  this  suggestion  Mr.  Buchanan  yielded  without  hesita- 
tion ;  and  employed  a  great  part  of  several  nights  in  com- 
municating to  his  affectionate  parent  an  ingenuous  narrative 
of  his  proceedings  from  the  period  of  his  departure  from 
Scotland  to  the  present  time.  At  the  close  of  this  varied 
history,  in  which  he  strongly  condemns  himself  for  his  past 
misconduct,  he  thus  expresses  himself. 

*<  And  now,  my  dear  mother,  how  are  you  affected  by  this 
'i  account  ?  Is  your  heart  ready  to  welcome  the  return  of 
«  your  long  lost  son,  or  does  it  reject  with  just  indignation  so 
"  much  unworthiness  ?  Whatever  may  be  your  emotions,  I 
"  pray  God,  who  has  been  so  gracious  to  ?ne,  to  bless  this 
<«  dispensation  to  you,  Tlie  veil  which  was  between  us  is  at 
«  length  rent,  and  I  am  now  in  peace  ;  for  believe  me  I  have 
<'  not  enjoyed  a  day  of  peace  since  I  left  my  father's  house. 
ii  I  once  thought  I  would  rather  suffer  torture  than  betray 
<«  my  secret ;  but  my  <  sinews  of  iron'  are  now  become  like 
«  those  of  a  child.  Nothing  less  than  what  I  have  suffered 
^<  eould  have  softened  so  hard  a  heart  as  mine ;  and  not  even 
<«  that,  unless  accompanied  by  the  power  of  God." 

Mr.  Buchanan  had  no  sooner  made  this  disclosure  to  his 
excellent  mother,  than  he  communicated  the  result  to  Mr. 
Newton  in  a  letter,  which  closes  in  the  following  terms. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  41 

^<  My  desires  of  returning  to  my  first  pursuit,  the  minis- 
^«  try,  still  continue,  and  I  think  increase.  Blackstone  says 
*^  somewhere,  that  to  have  a  competent  knowledge  of  the 
**  law  requires  *  the  lucubrations  of  twenty  years.'  I  once 
*«  had  the  low  ambition  of  being  such  a  lawyer.  But  I  am 
««  now  so  impressed  with  the  dignity  and  importance  of  the 
*<  office  of  the  ministry,  that  I  would  with  pleasure  sit  down 
*^  to-morrow,  and  devote,  not  the  lucubrations  of  twenty 
^'  years  alone,  but  all  my  life  to  it.  But,  alas  !  my  present 
<^  situation  militates  much  against  my  wishes.  0  that  He, 
<<  who  has  led  me  thus  far,  would  graciously  direct  my 
*i  steps !'' 

During  the  three  months  which  followed  the  date  of  this 
letter,  Mr.  Buchanan  continued  his  employment  in  the  law; 
diligently  and  devoutly  cultivating  the  spirit  of  real  reli- 
gion, and  anxiously  revolving  in  his  mind  the  practicability 
of  accomplishing  his  wishes  respecting  the  change  of  his 
profession.  In  the  month  of  July,  however,  he  addressed 
another  letter  to  Mr.  Newton,  who  was  then  absent  from 
London,  in  which  he  laments,  with  much  humility  and  feel- 
ing, the  painful  discoveries  which  he  had  been  making  in  self- 
knowledge,  and  the  slowness  of  his  progress  in  his  Christian 
course.  '<  I  have  but  sipped,"  he  modestly  observes,  "  at 
*^  Salem's  spring — J\*ecfo7ite  labra  proluL^'  He  then  informs 
his  kind  correspondent  and  friend,  that  his  late  letters  from 
Scotland  had  afforded  him  much  comfort.  <<  My  mother," 
he  says,  «  writes  thus. 

<«  The  hint  you  gave  me  in  your  last  of  your  probably 
<«  joining  the  Church  of  England,  caused  me  at  first  some 
<«  uneasiness.  I  hope  you  will  forgive  this.  I  find  now  that 
*«  the  difference  between  the  two  churches  consists  in  disci= 
<^  pline  only,  not  in  doctrine.  I  am  therefore  easy  in  mind, 
<^  whichever  way  the  providence  of  God  may  see  fit  to  guide 
*<  you.  I  am  happy  that  you  consulted  your  Bible,  and 
<«  sought  the  Lord's  direction  upon  this  occasion.  If  you 
«  cast  your  burden  upon  him,  he  will  direct  you  aright. 
"  Since  you  were  a  boy,  it  was  impressed  upon  my  mind 
"  some  time  or  other  you  would  be  a  good  man.    I  own  of 

r 


4g  MEMOIRS  0¥ 

"  late  years  I  was  beginning  to  lose  my  hope,  particularly 
"  on  the  supposition  of  your  going  abroad.  I  thought  with 
"  myself,  this  is  not  God's  usual  way  of  bringing  sinners  to 
•«  himself.  But  tlie  word  of  consolation  often  came  in  re- 
•«  mcmbrance,  that  <  God  is  a  God  afar  off.'  O  how  merci- 
"  ful  has  he  been  to  you,  and  how  merciful  to  us,  in  conceal- 
"  ing  your  miserable  situation  till  grace  brouglit  it  to  light ,' 

"  I  do  believe  tlie  discovery  a  year  ago  would but 

**  these  recollections  are  painful;  therefore  I  forbear.  What 
**  comforting  letters  have  you  sent  us !  Could  a  thousand 
"  pounds  a  year  have  afforded  an  equal  consolation  ?  Impos- 
"  sible.  It  might  indeed  have  tied  us  down  faster  to  the 
"  earth,  but  it  could  not  have  set  our  hearts  upon  the  im- 
«  searchable  riches  that  are  in  Christ  Jesus.  Your  friends 
*'  in  Glasgow  are  rejoicing  with  us ;  some  of  them  say- 
"  ing,  *  Had  the  good  old  people  (meaning  his  grandfather 
*«  and  grandmother)  been  alive,  how  would  this  have  revlv- 
«<  ed  them  !'  Among  your  grandfather's  papers,  I  find  the 
<^  inclosed  letter  written  by  Mr.  Maculloch  to  him  in  a  time 
<^  of  distress,  when  the  sins  of  his  youth  oppressed  him. 
"  Read  it  with  care,  and  may  God  grant  a  blessing  in  the 
^<  perusal.'* 

It  was  surely  with  good  reason  that  Mr.  Buchanan  add- 
ed, *«  It  is  not  the  smallest  of  my  comforts,  that  I  have  such 
«  a  mother  as  this  ;"  who,  though  evidently  grieved  at  his 
past  misconduct,  was,  as  he  afterwards  expressed  it, 
<^  overwhelmed  with  joy,  that  her  son,  who  was  lost,. 
"  had  been  found." 

It  appears  by  tlie  subsequent  part  of  this  letter,  that  Mr. 
Buchanan  had  a  short  time  before  been  introduced  by  the 
kindness  of  his  friend  to  the  notice  of  a  gentleman,  to  whose 
munificent  patronage  he  was  afterwards  indebted  for  the 
means  of  accomplishing  the  prevailing  desire  of  his  heart, 
in  entering  upon  the  ministry  of  the  Gospel  in  the  Churcli 
of  England.  This  was  the  late  Mr.  Henry  Thornton  ;  who, 
to  talents  of  a  superior  order,  and  to  various  and  extensive 
acquirements,  devoted  during  a  laborious  and  honourable 
course  to  the  most  important  duties  of  public  life,  united  a 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  43 

warm  and  eiiliglitened  attachment  to  genuine  Christianity: 
which,  while  it  formed  the  hasis  of  his  religious  cliaracter, 
not  only  supplied  the  rule  and  the  motives  of  his  general 
conduct,  hut  prompted  him,  in  an  especial  manner,  to  sup- 
port with  calm  and  steady  zeal,  whatever  a  remarkably 
sound  and  vigorous  understanding  deemed  calculated  t(i 
promote  the  glory  of  God,  and  the  present  and  future  happi- 
ness of  his  fellow  creatures.  It  was  to  this  distinguished 
person  that  Mr.  Buchanan,  happily  for  himself  and  for 
others,  was  now  made  known  and  recommended.  Mr. 
Newton  had  been  largely  indebted  to  the  friendship  and  pa- 
tronage of  the  excellent  father  of  this  gentleman;  and  just- 
ly thought,  that  he  could  not  render  a  more  important  ser- 
vice to  his  young  friend,  or  one  which  might  eventually  be 
more  useful  to  the  world,  than  by  introducing  him  to  the 
son ;  who,  with  higher  mental  powers,  inherited  that  en- 
larged and  generous  spirit  of  benevolence,  w^hich  had  asso- 
ciated, in  almost  every  mind,  the  name  of  Thornton^,  with 
that  of  philanthropy  and  Christian  charity. 

The  liberal  education  which  Mr.  Buchanan  had  already 
received,  and  his  advanced  age  as  a  student,  naturally  led 
his  friends  to  wish  that  it  might  be  practicable  to  obtain  or- 
dination for  him  without  so  long  a  preparation  as  a  residence 
at  an  English  University  for  a  degree  would  require.  The 
Bishop,  however,  to  whom  an  application  was  made  for  this 
purpose,  discouraged  any  such  plan,  and  it  was  according- 
ly abandoned.  It  was  afterwards  thought,  tliat  holy  orders 
might  be  procured  for  Mr.  Buchanan  at  an  early  period,  on 
the  condition  of  his  going  abroad ;  and  Mr.  Thornton  desir- 
ed him  to  consider,  whether  his  liealth  would  allow  him  to 
accept  the  chaplaincy  of  the  colony  of  Sierra  Leone.  To, 
this  proposal  Mr.  Buchanan,  after  requesting  Mr.  Newton's 
advice,  signified  his  cordial  assent ;  but,  for  reasons  wliich 
do  not  appear,  this  design  was  also  relinquished.  For  a 
short  time,  the  mind  of  Mr.  Buchanan  seems  to  have  been 
somewhat  depressed  by  the  failure  of  these  attempts. 

,=*  See  Cowper's  "Charity." 


44  MEMOIRS  OF 

<^  Notwithstanding,"  he  says,  at  the  close  of  the  last  quo- 
ted, «  your  endeavours  in  my  behalf,  I  have  little  expecta- 
*<  tion  that  you  will  succeed.  Providence,  I  think,  has  a 
^«  few  more  trials  and  difficulties  for  me  to  encounter,  before 
"  I  am  led  into  so  pleasant  a  path  ;  and  I  know  that  they 
"  are  needful  to  make  me  more  humble." 

He  felt,  too,  the  absence  of  his  paternal  friend  and  guide, 
and  looked  around  among  his  acquaintance  for  a  companion, 
in  vain.  ^<  I  have  but  one  serious  friend,"  he  observes, 
<<  and  him  I  only  see  once  in  a  week  or  fortnight.  Next  to 
"  the  blessing  of  communion  with  God  on  earth,  must  surely 
<'  be  the  society  of  his  children.  Yet  I  shall  not  complain, 
«<  if  I  can  enjoy  the  former  privilege ;  for  then,  Ille  solus 
"  turba  eriV^ 

Amidst  these  discouraging  circumstances,  however,  Mr. 
Buchanan  assures  his  venerable  correspondent,  that  he  was 
never  so  truly  happy  in  his  life,  having  been  guided  into 
^•'  the  way  of  peace,"  relying  on  the  direction  of  divine 
Providence,  and  being  animated  ^«  by  ^  the  hope  set  before 
«  him.' " 

But  it  was  not  long  before  the  kindness  of  the  generous 
patron  to  whom  he  had  been  introduced,  opened  to  him  a 
prospect  which  his  most  sanguine  expectations  had  never 
ventured  to  anticipate  :  instead  of  any  further  attempt  to 
obtain  ordination  for  him  under  his  present  circumstances, 
Mr.  Thornton  determined  to  send  him  to  the  University  of 
Cambridge  at  his  own  expense  ;  that  he  might  thus  enter 
the  church  with  every  possible  advantage,  and  be  prepared 
for  a  higher  and  more  extensive  sphere  of  usefulness  than 
any  for  which  he  could  otherwise  be  qualified.  This  resolu- 
tion was  scarcely  less  honourable  to  the  character  of  Mr. 
Buchanan  than  to  the  liberality  of  his  patron  ;  wliose  dis- 
criminating judgment  afforded  no  slight  presumption  in  fa- 
vour of  any  one  to  whom  his  protection  was  extended,  and 
whose  penetration  was  in  the  present  instance  amply  justi- 
fied by  the  event. 

Early  in  the  month  of  September,  Mr.  Buchanan  commu- 
nicated to  his  mother,  and  his  friend  Mr.  Newton,  who  was 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  4,5 

still  in  the  country,  the  joyful  news  of  Mr.  Thornton's  mu- 
nificent intention.  He  had  been  so  much  depressed  by  the 
failure  of  former  plans,  and  the  present  offer  so  far  exceed- 
ed any  hopes  which  he  had  indulged,  that  he  was  at  first 
almost  tempted  to  think  it  a  delusion ;  but  on  Mr.  Thorn- 
ton's assuring  him  personally  of  the  reality  of  the  proposal, 
which  he  appears  to  have  originally  made  to  him  by  letter, 
he  received  it  with  those  mingled  feelings  of  gratitude  and 
humility,  which  were  the  surest  pledges  that  the  benevolent 
exertions  of  his  patron  would  not  be  made  in  vain. 

'( I  was  emancipated,"  he  writes  to  Mr.  Newton,  "  from 
"the  law  a  few  days  ago,  and  am  now  willing  to  enter 
«  into  the  eternal  bonds  of  the  Gospel.  I  have  been  endea- 
«^  vouring  to  arrange  my  studies  in  some  measure  prepara- 
«  tory  to  my  going  to  Cambridge ;  but  I  find  so  much  to  do, 
<«  that  I  know  not  where  to  begin.  I  wish  to  devote  my 
<«  greatest  attention  to  the  Bible,  and  am  desirous  of  adopt- 
<^  ing  some  regular  plan  in  studying  it ;  but  I  cannot 
«  please  myself,  and  I  am  a  perfect  stranger  to  the  system 
«  which  is  usually  followed.  The  Bible  appears  to  me  like 
«  a  confused  heap  of  polished  stones  prepared  for  a  build- 
<<  ing,  which  must  be  brought  together,  and  each  of  them  fit- 
« ted  to  its  place,  before  the  proportion  and  symmetry  of 
«  the  temple  appear.  I  would  fain  hope  that  the  foundation- 
"  stone  is  laid  with  me;  but  the  raising  of  the  superstructure 
*(  appears  an  arduous  undertaking,  and  the  pinnacle  of  the 
«  temple  is  quite  out  of  sight,  even  in  idea.  I  conjectured 
"that  probably  the  Articles  and  Creeds  of  the  Church 
"  contain  the  first  principles  of  the  oracles  of  God ;  and 
"  on  this  presumption  I  have  begun  to  prove  all  the  ar- 
"  tides  of  my  faith  by  Scripture.  Whether  I  am  right  in 
"  this  mode  of  study  I  know  not. 

"  I  never  felt  myself  in  more  need  of  divine  direction  than 
•«  now.  When  I  consider  myself  so  evidently  called  forth 
•«  on  the  Lord's  side,  my  heart  is  faint ;  and  I  am  apt  to  say, 
i( «  Who  is  sufficient  for  these  things  ?'  I  find  I  am  unable  to 
"  go  through  the  important  studies  before  me,  unless  I  am 
"  led  every  step.    At  present  it  appears  to  me,  that  my  sole 


46  MEMOIRS  OF 

*^  business  at  the  University  is  contained  in  one  line  of  St. 
*«  Paul,  <  to  be  enriched  with  all  utterance,  and  all  know- 
<^  ledge  ;'  or  in  other  words,  ^  to  be  eloquent,  and  mighty  in 
<<  the  Scriptures ;'  which  are  said  to  have  been  the  accom- 
*^  plishments  of  the  preacher  Apollos.  But  I  find  that  I 
«  must  attend  to  various  branches  of  human  learning,  for 
<«  whicli  at  present  I  have  no  relish.  Alas  !  Sir,  if  St.  Paul 
<«  had  sent  Timothy  and  Titus  to  such  a  college  as  this,  they 
*<  would  have  complained  to  him  of  such  a  plan.  But  he 
"  would  perhaps  have  answered,  as  he  does  somewhere ; 
"  '  Till  I  come,  give  attendance  to  reading' — <  that  ye  may 
"  know  how  ye  ought  to  answer  every  man.' '' 

The  sentiment  expressed  in  the  latter  part  of  the  prece- 
ding extract  will  not  appear  extraordinary  to  those  who  con- 
sider the  state  of  Mr.  Buchanan's  mind  at  tliis  period,  and 
the  one  great  object  which  he  had  in  view  in  accepting  Mr. 
Thornton's  offer  of  an  University  education.  The  same 
train  of  thought  occurs  in  his  next  letter  to  Mr.  Newton ; 
and  although  he  afterwards  acquiesced  upon  principle  in  the 
usual  course  of  University  studies,  it  may  not  be  without 
its  use  to  develop  somewhat  more  fully  his  present  disposi- 
tions and  feelings. 

<<  Permit  me,"  he  observes  to  his  first  excellent  friend, 
<*  to  thank  you  foy  your  letter.  It  is  a  mark  of  your  regard, 
«  of  which  1  am  unworthy,  and  has  affixed  a  seal  to  the 
"  truth  of  your  interest  in  my  welfare,  which  I  hope  will 
"  never  be  broken.  Like  Hezekiah,  I  spread  it  before  the 
"  Lord,  but  with  a  different  purpose ;  not  to  avert  a  curse, 
"  but  to  improve  a  blessing.  The  words  in  Hezekiah's  let- 
'<  ter  were  « to  reproach  the  living  God  ;'  but  the  words  in 
''  my  letter  were  to  assure  me  that  his  name  is  love,  that  he 
^<  is  very  gracious,  and  that  I  should  serve  him  with  a 
<«  cheerful  heart.  I  have  prayed  that  I  may  be  enabled  to 
*«  do  so.  Your  letter  is  a  silent  monitor,  whicli  I  hope  at  the 
"  University  often  to  consult.  It  will,  I  trust,  serve  as  a 
<«  counterpoise  to  the  parade  of  worldly  wisdom,  and  teach 
^«  me  to  reverse  the  motto  of  the  schools,  Ubi  philosophiis 
«  ctssaty  iliie  incipit  tfieologus,    Chrysostom  was  of  your  opi- 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  47 

^^  nioii ;  he  says,  "Ottov  cro<piu.  &eoZ,  ouKhi  x^^^'*  kv^^wtfiw.^.  I  think 
*«  so  too ;  but  I  also  think,  that  the  fault  is  not  in  the  studies, 
<«  but  in  the  manner  of  pursuing  them.  If  a  student  could 
"  wed  himself  to  the  Bible,  and  court  the  sciences  merely  as 
"  handmaids  to  her,  1  tliink  this  would  do  very  well ;  but 
*<  when  we  are  seized  by  the  cacoethes  philosophandi,  and 
<*  devote  ourselves  to  what  Luther  calls  the  idola  carnalium 
^<  studionim,  our  taste  becomes  vitiated.  Since  I  received 
<«  your  letter,  I  have  seen  something  of  this.  I  was  introdu- 
«  ced  yesterday  to  the   acquaintance  of  a  clergyman's  son, 

*<  who  has  been  two  years  at  —  college,   Cambridge. 

^«  His  father,  I  understand,  sent  him  to  that  college,  that  he 
•'«  might  be  under  the  care  of  religious  tutors.  From  this  ac- 
"  count  I  hoped  to  find  him  a  suitable  companion ;  but  I 
«•  soon  discovered  that  he  had  no  inclination  to  talk  of  divin- 
•^  ity,  or  of  any  thing  that  bore  relation  to  it.  His  whole 
^<  conversation  turned  on  experimental  philosophy  and  ma- 
^«  thematics.  I  have  not  seen  a  young  man  so  mathematic- 
^«  mad  in  my  life.  During  the  whole  evening  I  spent  with 
('  him,  his  head  was  (as  Omicron  expresses  it)  continually 
"  wool-gathering  after  rhomboids  and  parallelograms.  He 
"  assures  me,  that  if  I  do  not  study  mathematics  very  dili- 
*^  gently,  I  shall  have  no  chance  at  the  end  of  my  course  of 
<«  obtaining  ^  the  honours.'  I  told  him,  that  I  had  heard 
"  college  fame  was  very  intoxicating ;  that  perhaps  it  might 
«  be  prudent  to  sip  gently  of  it ;  and  that  as  for  myself,  if  I 
"  could  pass  my  examination  with  a  mediocrity  of  applause, 
«<  I  should  be  content.  He  observed,  that  seven  hours  a  day 
"  studying  mathematics  would  be  sufficient  for  that, 

<^  How  much  reason  is  there  for  that  *  double  guard  of 
^^  prayer  and  close  walking  with  God'  which  you  mention, 
<^  in  order  that  I  may  be  enabled  to  pass  through  this  fire 
<<  unhurt !  It  is  happy  for  me  that  I  am  not  under  my  own 
<f  guidance.  It  seems  it  is  necessary  for  me  to  be  some- 
"what  « learned  in  the  wisdom  of  the  Egyptians;'  but  I 
"  trust  it  is,  that  I  may  be  able  to  see  and  set  forth  '  the 
« wisdom  that  is  from  above'  in  a  more  transcendent 
<*  light. 


48  MEMOIRS  OF 

^^  The  method  you  propose  for  my  studying  the  Bible  ap- 
<^  proves  itself  much  to  my  judgment,  and  I  desire  to  follow 
<*  it.  I  have  begun  it  this  day  in  a  solemn  manner.  O  that 
«  my  ardour  for  contemplating  the  truths  of  Scripture  may 
*^  never  abate ! 

"  What  you  say  of  a  daily  retrospect  of  my  past  life  is  an 
« instructive  lesson.  Is  it  possible  that  for  forty  years  it 
*'  should  have  been  so  with  you  ?  I  fear  I  shall  come  far  short 
^^  of  this ;  and  yet  how  much  reason  have  I  to  sing  of  the 
^*  mercies  of  the  Lord  all  the  day  long  ?  Is  there  any  one 
«  of  his  children  who  is  more  indebted  to  him  as  the  God  of 
^«  providence  and  of  grace  than  I  am  ?  Who  can  <  sing  of 
'<  mercy  and  of  judgment'  as  I  can,  when  I  remember  him 
«  from  the  land  of  my  nativity,  all  the  way  by  which  I  have 
*^  been  led  ?  How  few  are  there  who  would  believe  that  a 
"  man  could  be  found  capable  of  displaying  so  extraordinary 
^•'  an  act  of  munificence  as  that  with  which  Mr.  Thornton  is 
<*  now  honouring  me  ?  Were  I  possessed  of  both  the  Indies^ 
<«  I  could  scarcely  do  more  for  myself  than  he  is  now  doing. 
<*  And  how  unworthy  I  am  of  all  this!  When  I  think  of  these 
*'  things,  it  is  the  grief  of  my  heart  that  I  cannot  more  ad- 
<^  mire  and  love  that  gracious  Saviour,  who  has  so  highly 
<<  favoured  me.  As  yet,  I  have  a  very  imperfect  view  of 
«  what  I  have  passed  through :  but  I  trust  these  things  will 
<^  be  shewn  me,  as  I  shall  be  able  to  bear  them. 

"  Mr.  Thornton  intends  that  I  shall  go  to  Queen's  college  ; 
"  chiefly,  I  believe,  because  he  is  acquainted  witn  the  Pre- 
«f  sident,*  and  thinks  that  circumstance  may  be  advanta- 
<^  geous  to  me.  I  am  happy  to  hear  so  favourable  an  account 
« of  Cambridge.  It  will  be  an  encouragement  for  me  to 
<«  maintain  my  ground,  when  I  see  some  around  me  who 
«  dare  to  be  singular.  It  shall  be  my  endeavour  to  attend 
«  to  your  advice  with  respect  to  my  conduct  to  my  superiors. 
"  I  shall  often  pray  to  be  endued  with  a  meek  and  quiet 
"  spirit ;  and  endeavour  implicitly  to  comply  with  every 
«  rule  and  every  injunction  in  the  University,  for  the  Lord's 
<«  sake." 

a  The  very  reverend  and  learned  Dr.  Milner,  Dean  of  Carlisle. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  4,9 


CHAPTER  III. 

SUCH  were  the  views  with  which>  in  Michaelmas  term 
1791,  Mr.  Buchanan  was  admitted  a  member  of  Queen's 
college,  Cambridge.  "  The  day  of  my  leaving  London," 
he  observes  in  a  letter  to  his  brother,  "  was  very  solemn.  It 
<«  was  on  Monday  the  24th  of  October,  exactly  four  years 
"  and  two  months  since  my  entering  that  city.  But  with 
*^  what  a  different  spirit  did  I  leave  it,  compared  with  that 
<«  with  which  I  had  entered  it !  Had  I  seen  at  that  time,  in 
*«  the  book  of  Providence,  all  that  I  was  about  to  do  and  to 
<^  suffer  in  that  city,  I  suppose  I  should  hardly  have  dared  to 
«  approach  it :  but  God  wisely  conceals  from  us  a  knowledge 
<^  of  the  future. 

«^  On  the  morning  and  evening  preceding  my  leaving  Lon- 
<<  don,  I  was  earnest  in  prayer  for  a  blessing  on  my  inten- 
<^  ded  journey  and  its  consequences.  One  request  in  parti- 
"  cular  was,  that  I  might  be  favoured  with  the  acquaintance 
«^  of  some  pious  companions  in  my  studies.  To  this  prayer 
'*  I  had  an  early  answer.  A  gentleman  set  out  witli  me 
^«  from  London  in  the  same  coach  for  Cambridge.  He  studied 
^«  two  seasons  at  Glasgow,  as  I  did ;  then,  like  me,  passed 
«  some  years  in  vanity  ;  and  now  comes  to  the  University 
« to  qualify  himself  for  preaching  Christ,  as  I  hope  I  do. 
"  This  singular  similarity  in  our  circumstances  occasioned 
<*  a  happiness  of  which  none  but  ourselves  could  partake." 

With  a  modesty  and  regard  to  frugality  which  reflect  upon 
him  much  credit,  Mr.  Buchanan  was  at  first  disposed  to 
enter  as  a  Sizer;  but  upon  the  representations  of  the  tutors, 
and  of  the  friends  to  whom  he  had  been  recommended,  he 
determined  on  being  admitted  as  a  Pensioner.  In  a  letter 
to  Mr.  Newton,  written  soon  after  his  arrival  at  Cambridge, 
he  very  feelingly  describes  the  perplexity  which  he  had  an- 
ticipated from  the  contrariety  of  the  studies  to  which  he  was 
called,  to  the  prevailing  dispositions  of  his  mind.  Until  he 
was  actually  at  college  he  cherished  the  hope  of  being  per- 


50  MEMOIRS  OF 

mitted  to  devote  his  chief  attention  to  divinity,  and  to  the 
mathematics  only  secondarily.  But  he  found  tliat  the  re- 
verse  was  expected  from  him;  and  that  the  excellent  friends, 
to  whom  his  patron  had  introduced  him,  were  quite  as  stren- 
uous as  his  tutors  in  representing  to  him  the  necessity  of 
complying  with  the  established  course  of  study  in  the  Uni- 
versity. Independently  of  the  repugnance  which  Mr.  Bu- 
chanan felt  to  this  plan  from  the  peculiarly  serious  frame  of 
his  mind  at  this  period,  he  feared  that  by  yielding  to  it  he 
should  disappoint  the  expectations  of  the  friends  who  had 
sent  him  to  Cambridge,  and  eventually  frustrate  the  great 
object  which  he  and  they  mutually  had  in  view.  The  com- 
paratively advanced  age,  too,  at  which  he  had  entered  the 
University,  would  naturally  tend  to  strengthen  this  appre- 
hension, and  to  dispose  him  to  dedicate  his  time  exclusively 
to  theological  pursuits.  The  state  of  doubt  and  uneasiness 
produced  by  these  circumstances  affected  both  his  spirits 
and  his  health;  but  after  stating  the  reasonings  of  his  Cam- 
bridge friends,  and  his  own  feelings  and  inclinations,  he  ex- 
pressed to  his  respected  correspondent  his  resolution  to  follow 
that  course  of  conduct,  which  after  mature  deliberation  should 
appear  to  him  to  be  the  path  of  duty. 

In  the  case  of  students  in  general,  entering  at  the  usual 
period  at  either  University  with  a  view  to  holy  orders,  how- 
ever religiously  they  may  be  disposed,  there  can  be  no 
doubt  either  as  to  tlie  duty  or  the  wisdom  of  devoting  their 
chief  attention  to  the  prescribed  studies  of  the  place.  A  com- 
petent acquaintance  with  the  learned  languages,  and  with 
the  stores  of  historical  and  ethical  knowledge  which  they 
contain  ;  the  principles  of  sound  reasoning,  and  the  ele- 
ments, at  least,  of  general  science,  are  essential  to  the  for- 
mation of  an  enlightened  and  able  theologian.  The  basis 
of  such  a  character  must,  indeed,  be  deeply  laid  in  an  ex- 
perimental acquaintance  with  real  religion ;  and  it  were 
devoutly  to  be  wished,  that  this  were  more  generally  consi- 
dered as  an  indispensable  qualification  in  every  candidate 
for  the  ministry,  and  that  more  effectual  encouragements 
and  facilities  were  afforded  in  our  Universities  for  its  at 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  5t 

tainment.  But  if  to  the  spirit  of  piety  be  not  added  the 
advantages  which  are  to  be  derived  from  the  wise  and  tem- 
perate pursuit  of  human  learning,  there  is  great  danger 
that  religion  itself  will  suffer  in  the  hands  of  those  who  are 
thus  unprepared  to  teach,  to  defend,  and  to  adorn  it.  In 
the  present  instance,  Mr.  Buchanan  was  already  possessed 
of  such  a  share  of  learning  as  might  have  been  sufficient  to 
qualify  him  for  the  discharge  of  the  ordinary  duties  of  a 
Christian  minister;  but  it  was  obviously  desirable  that  this 
should  be  strengthened  and  enlarged  by  fresh  accessions  at 
the  seat  of  science,  to  which  the  providence  of  God  had  so 
remarkably  conducted  him.  Nor  was  it  long  before  his  judg- 
ment was  convinced  by  the  arguments  of  his  friends,  that  the 
very  honour  of  religion  required  his  acquiescence  in  such 
a  measure ;  and  that,  however  the  appointed  studies  of  the 
University  might  appear  to  be  foreign  to  the  important  pur- 
pose for  which  he  had  entered  it,  they  would  ultimately  tend 
in  the  most  effectual  manner  to  promote  it.  Among  those 
who  concurred  in  this  salutary  advice  was  Mr.  Newton 
himself;  and  to  him  Mr.  Buchanan  early  in  the  following 
year  announced  his  disposition  to  yield  to  their  suggestions. 

^^  I  think,"  he  observes,  "  that  my  way  is  clearer  than  it 
<^  was,  and  I  hope  soon  to  have  little  doubt  of  my  path  of  duty 
"  at  college.  Your  letter  helped  to  pave  the  way  for  me. 
<<  I  have  now  taken  up  the  study  of  the  mathematics  ex  ani- 
^'  mo,  that  is,  from  a  persuasion  that  God  wills  it.  And  for 
•<  them  I  have  made  a  sacrifice  of  some  other  studies  truly 
**  dear  to  me.  I  tried  for  a  time  to  continue  them  botJi,  but 
"  I  found  it  impossible  ;  so  that  now,  that  portion  of  the  day 
"  which  I  have  set  apart  for  divine  things  is  extremely  short, 
"  compared  with  what  I  once  thought  it  would  be  ;  and  yet 
<<  I  dare  not  tell  some  of  my  friends  here  that  it  is  so  long." 

It  will  be  readily  imagined,  that  Mr.  Buchanan  had  va- 
rious difficulties  to  encounter  on  commencing  his  academical 
course.  He  had  indeed  been  received  by  the  Vice-President, 
in  the  absence  of  Dr.  Milner,  and  by  the  tutors,  with  much 
attention  and  kindness;  but  having  been  entirely  unac- 
quainted with  the  mathematics  before  his  entrance  at  col- 


5^  MEMOIRS  OF 

lege,  it  was  only  by  hard  study  that  he  could  contrive  to  keep 
pace  with  the  lectures.  "  I  once  thought,"  he  says,  "  that 
"  I  should  have  been  obliged  to  acknowledge  my  inability, 
"  and  to  have  fallen  behind,  and  was  wishing  for  the  last 
"  day  of  term  as  eagerly  as  ever  truant  did  for  a  holiday. 
<<  However  I  was  enabled  to  keep  my  ground,  and  my  diffi- 
"  culties  were  never  known,  even  to  my  tutor.  This  vaca- 
<«  tion  will  give  me  room  to  have  some  little  beforehand  ;  so 
"  that  I  hope  to  pass  with  more  ease  and  credit  through  the 
«  succeeding  terms." 

From  the  time  of  his  coming  to  college,  according  to  the 
information  of  a  contemporary  friend,  Mr.  Buchanan  was 
exceedingly  regular  and  studious,  keeping  but  little  compa- 
ny, for  the  sake,  he  supposes,  of  economy  both  as  to  expense 
and  time. 

His  situation,  too,  was  at  first  peculiarly  unpleasant,  from 
finding  scarcely  a  single  companion,  whose  sentiments  and 
habits  were  congenial  with  his  own.  His  indisposition  to 
general  visits  even  rendered  him  the  subject  of  much  ani- 
madversion. But  from  this  trial  he  was  shortly  relieved  by 
the  praise  which  he  received  from  his  tutor  for  a  Latin 
theme,  the  composition  of  which,  though  he  had  written 
nothing  in  that  language  for  some  years,  was  pronounced 
to  be  superior  to  that  of  any  other  student.  He  was  in  con- 
sequence treated  with  much  additional  respect  by  his  fellow^ 
collegians,  was  allowed  to  visit  them  upon  his  own  terms, 
and  even  received  several  applications  to  assist  them  in  their 
studies,  which  served  as  a  stimulus  to  his  own  exertionSi 

No  sooner,  however,  had  Mr.  Buchanan  determined  on 
the  diligent  pursuit  of  his  academical  studies,  than  the 
wakeful  spirit  of  piety,  by  wliich  he  was  animated,  made 
him  anxious  to  guard  against  the  possible  dangers  to  which 
such  a  plan  might  expose  him.  For  tliis  purpose  he  culti- 
vated the  acquaintance  of  the  more  serious  students  at  dif- 
ferent colleges  ;  and  at  his  solicitation  they  agreed  to  meet 
regularly  for  the  purpose  of  reading  the  New  Testament, 
and  conversing  practically  upon  some  chapter  which  had 
been  selected.   Their  meetings  were  begun  and  ended  with 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  53 

prayer.  It  is  well  known  that  such  proceedings  arc  regard 
ed  in  our  Universities,  to  say  the  least,  with  much  jealousy, 
and  are  generally  discouraged.  Why  meetings  for  religious 
improvement,  when  conducted  as  this  at  Cambridge  appears- 
by  Mr.  Buchanan's  letters  to  his  correspondents  to  have 
been,  should  be  disapproved,  more  than  debating,  or  other 
academical  societies,  for  the  purposes  of  conversation  or 
even  of  festivity,  it  is  not  easy  to  discover.  Young  men,  it 
is  said,  are  incompetent  to  conduct  with  advantage  discus- 
sions of  a  religious  nature.  But  is  their  judgment  at  all 
better  qualified  to  determine  moral,  or  political  questions ; 
and  is  not  theg^anger,  whatever  it  may  be,  in  the  one  case 
equal  to  that  of  the  other?  Both,  it  may  be  replied,  are  in= 
expedient.  And  if  meetings  of  either  kind  are  intended  for 
the  mere  purpose  of  display,  it  is  readily  admitted,  that  the 
time  consumed  in  them  might  be  much  more  profitably  em- 
ployed, ^ut  in  the  case  in  question,  the  society  met  not  so 
much  for  the  purpose  of  discussion,  as  of  raising  a  barrier 
against^he  undue  influence  of  secular  learning  on  the  minds 
of  those  who  were  almost  exclusively  employed  in  its  pur- 
suit ;  and  of  cherishing  that  spirit  of  piety  and  devotion,  the 
cultivation  of  which  in  themselves  and  others  was  to  form 
the  one  great  business  of  their  lives.  Meetings  such  as 
these  may,  indeed,  and  ever  will  be,  objected  to  by  those 
who  perceive  greater  danger  in  the  warmth  of  zeal,  than  in 
the  coldness  of  indiff*erence :  but  it  may  be  permitted  to  those 
who,  like  Mr.  Buchanan,  have  experienced  not  only  their 
safety  but  their  benefit,  to  vindicate,  if  not,  under  the  regu- 
lation of  that  judgment  which  is  seldom  altogether  wanting 
in  our  academical  students,  and  in  submission  to  academic 
discipline,  to  recommend  them. 

In  addition  to  the  society  which  has  been  just  mentioned, 
Mr.  Buchanan  was  invited  to  spend  an  hour  on  Sunday 
evenings  at  the  rooms  of  one  excellent  person,  who  has  been 
distinguished  during  many  years  for  his  active  and  zealous 
support  of  religion  in  Cambridge,  and  to  whom  a  numerous 
body  of  clerical  and  other  students  have  been  successively  in- 
debted, for  the  most  important  instruction  and  encourage 


5^  MEMOIRS  OF 

ment  during  their  academical  progress.  Of  the  kindness  of 
this  gentleman,  and  of  the  benefit  which  he  derived  from  his 
conversation  and  example,  Mr.  Buchanan  wrote  to  more 
than  one  of  his  friends  in  terms  of  the  highest  respect  and 
gratitude. 

**  These  engagements,''  he  says  to  one  of  them,  <<  prove 
<*  something  of  a  counterbalance  to  the  effects  of  human 
*'  learning,  and  preserve  my  mind  from  being  wholly  ab- 
'<  sorbed  in  philosophy  and  metaphysics.  Besides,"  and  the 
remark  affords  a  strikingproof  of  the  sobriety  as  well  as  fer- 
vour of  his  piety,  *<  I  have  the  opportunity  every  morning 
"  and  evening  of  attending  chapel  prayers,  wj|ich  of  itself  I 
"  consider  a  great  blessing." 

Yet  with  all  the  encouragements  with  which  he  now  be- 
gan to  be  favoured,  Mr.  Buchanan  expresses,  at  the  close  of 
the  same  letter,  a  deep,  perhaps  a  melancholy,  train  of 
thought  and  feeling,  which  is  not,  however,  unconvnon  with 
similar  characters. 

"  I  often  meditate,"  he  adds,  "  on  the  vanity  of  Me,  and 
^<  the  insufficiency  of  the  world  to  confer  happiness.  Were 
*<  I  assured  of  my  interest  in  the  Redeemer,  I  should  long  for 
"  my  departure.  What  is  there  to  detain  me  here  ?  I  have 
*<  no  tie  to  this  world,  no  earthly  possession,  no  person,  if  I 
*<  except  my  mother,  for  whose  sake  I  desire  to  live,  no  idol 
**  of  any  kind.  What  then  should  induce  me  to  linger  here, 
<^  groaning  as  I  do  daily  with  sin,  and  combating  a  powerful 
«  spiritual  enemy  ?  Nothing  ought  to  urge  me  to  stay,  but  a 
««  desire  to  promote  the  glory  of  God  among  men.  But  this 
*<  desire  is  with  me  so  weak  at  present,  as  scarcely  to  de- 
«  serve  the  name.  It  is  but  a  spark.  This  is  my  unhappi- 
*<  ness.  Yet  the  goodness  of  God  may  in  his  own  time  fan  it 
"  into  a  flame." 

Such  was  the  resolution  with  which  Mr.  Buchanan  enga- 
ged in  the  study  of  the  mathematics,  that  at  the  close  of  his 
second  term  he  found  himself  unequal  to  none  in  the  lecture 
room.  He  had  at  the  same  time,  though  contrary  to  the 
usual  custom,  paid  equal  attention  to  the  classical  and  logi- 
cal lectures;  but  very  reasonably  doubted  whether  he  should 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  55 

be  able  to  continue  the  same  application  to  so  many  differ- 
ent objects. 

<<  Indeed,"  he  says  to  one  of  his  correspondents,  «^  I  doubt 
"  much  whether  I  ought  to  try  it ;  and  for  this  reason  :  I 
"  find  that  this  great  attention  to  study  has  made  me  exceed- 
''  ingly  languid  in  my  devotional  duties.  I  feel  not  that  de- 
"  light  in  reading  the  Bible,  nor  that  pleasure  in  thinking 
<^  on  divine  things,  which  formerly  animated  me.  On  this 
"  account  have  many  serious  students  in  this  University 
<«  wholly  abandoned  the  study  of  mathematics,  and  confined 
<<  themselves  to  the  classics,  composition,  and  the  like  -,  for 
"it  seems  they  generally  feel  the  same  effects  that  I  do. 
<^  Now  these  effects  were  partly  anticipated  by  my  friends 
"  who  advised  the  study  of  mathematics  ,•  yet  they  recom- 
"  mended  perseverance  by  all  means,  and  are  seriously  con- 
"  cerned  for  those  young  men  who  have  rejected  these  stu- 
<^  dies,  and  have  thus  incurred  the  contempt  of  their  re- 
"  spective  colleges.  Knowing  now  something  of  mathema- 
"  tics,  I  can  form  some  opinion  of  them.  I  conceive  that  a 
"  course  of  them  would  be  highly  profitable  to  me  ;  but  I 
'« doubt  whether  I  should  run  such  hazards  in  completing 
*«  this  course,  as  you  see  I  am  exposed  to. 

'<  Your  good  sense  will  shew  you,  when  reflecting  on  my 
"  present  situation,  that  I  have  much  need  of  that  wisdom 
<«  which  is  profitable  to  direct.  Weak  in  spirit,  weak  in 
"  body,  and  beset  by  hard  study,  which  I  know  by  experi- 
"  ence  to  be  a  weariness  to  the  flesh,  what  can  I  do  but 
«  commit  myself  and  all  my  cares  to  Him  who  hath  hither- 
"  to  cared  for  me,  and  will  lead  me,  though  blind,  by  a  way 
<<  I  know  not?  By  such  a  way  is  he  now  leading  me:  I 
«  know  not  whither  his  goodness  is  conducting  me  ;  I  trust 
<<  it  is  to  his  service :  and  yet  there  is  such  an  ocean  of  ma- 
<<thematics  and  abstruse  study  which  intervenes  between 
"  me  and  usefulness  in  the  ministry,  that,  like  the  Israelites, 
"  1  stand  on  the  sea-shore,  thinking  it  impossible  to  get 
"over:  but  I  think  also  that  I  hear  the  Lord  by  his  provi- 
"  dence,  which  introduced  me  to  the  studies  of  this  place, 
«  sav,  <  Go  forward.'    This  I  am  resolved  to  do,  till  his 


56  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  goodness  illuminate  my  mind,  so  that  I  shall  he  enahled 
*<  to  discover  the  errors  (if  any)  of  my  path.  If  any,  did  I 
"  say  ?  I  know  that  there  are  many  ;  but  I  need  grace  to 
«<  abandon  them,  when  I  see  them ;  I  hope  Cambridge  Uni- 
^<  versity  will  prove  a  good  school  of  Christ  to  me.  I  knew 
•^  little  of  myself  till  I  came  here." 

Notwithstanding  the  complaint  which  Mr.  Buchanan  ex- 
presses in  the  preceding  letter,  as  to  the  unfavourable  effect 
of  his  studies  upon  his  devotional  feelings,  he  occasionally  ex- 
perienced very  different  and  more  pleasing  impressions. 

^'  I  ought,"  he  observes,  writing  to  Mr.  Newton  not  long 
afterwards,  <«  to  thank  you  for  you  letter.  There  is  an  in- 
<<  describable  something  which  pervades  the  whole  of  it,  and 
*<  se^ms  to  intimate  that  all  is  peace  and  tranquillity  within 
<<  the  mind  of  the  writer.  AVhat  an  enviable  frame  of  spirit 
<<  does  he  possess  who  walks  with  God !  About  a  fortnight 
^«  ago,  a  dawn  of  that  light,  with  which  I  suppose  the  Lord 
*<  irradiates  the  souls  of  those  that  walk  with  him,  shone  upon 
•*  my  mind,  and  by  its  lustre  shewed  me  some  things  I  had 
•<  not  seen  before.  I  prayed  often  that  this  impression  of 
*<  love  might  not  leave  me.  But,  alas !  it  did  leave  me  :  no 
"  doubt  it  was  my  own  fault.  I  would  walk  three  times  round 
*<  the  globe  to  attain  it  again  :  but  no  such  thing  is  required 
•'*  of  me ;  I  have  only  to  believe ;  UKrrtua  Kw^/?,  ^aj^ei  f^ov  t»j 

"  After  what  you  have  said  on  the  subject  of  disappointment, 
^^  I  am  resolved  never  to  be  disappointed.  But  it  is  a  resolution 
"  which  I  fear  I  cannot  keep.  Let  me  pray  for  grace.  If  I 
<*  possessed  this  fountain,  all  the  streams  would  be  mine ;  and 
<«  among  the  rest,  the  Christian  grace  of  considering  nothing 
« in  the  providence  of  God  a  disappointment." 

On  the  approach  of  the  long  vacation,  Mr.  Buchanan  had 
some  thoughts  of  spending  a  few  weeks  at  Lynn  in  Norfolk 
for  the  benefit  of  his  health,  which  had  been  impaired  by  his 
close  application  to  study. 

Mr.  Newton  had  also  invited  him  to  pass  a  part  of  the  va- 
cation in  London ;  and  in  the  letter  which  conveyed  this  in- 
vitation, an  extract  from  which  Mr.  Buchanan  communicated 
to  his  brother,  his  kind  friend  expressed  himself  as  follows. 


DR.  BUCHANAN. 


57 


"  Our  acquaintance  was  providential  indeed  !  but  it  is  a 
"  providence  for  wliich  I  hope  ever  to  be  thankful ;  and  to 
*^  account  it  one  of  the  chief  honours  and  pleasures  of  my  life, 
<*  to  have  been  made  instrumental  in  bringing  you  forward. 
*^  May  you  be  kept  in  the  mind  you  express,  to  prefer  <  a  grain 
'«  of  humility  to  a  mountain  of  gold  ;'  and  you  will  be  like  the 
«  tree  described  in  the  first  Psalm,  and  Jer.  xvii.  when  my 
«  head  is  laid  in  the  dust.  I  hear  well  of  you  from  all  quar- 
«  ters." 

The  relaxation,  however,  thus  proposed,  both  in  Norfolk 
and  London,  as  well  as  the  offer  of  an  excursion  with  a  Cam- 
bridge friend,  Mr.  Buchanan,  with  commendable  self-denial, 
thougiit  it  most  expedient  to  decline,  and  determined  on  ac- 
cepting the  indulgence  granted  him  of  remaining  in  college 
during  the  whole  vacation. 

<*  It  would  be  very  pleasing,"  he  says,  *<  to  make  a  short 
"  tour  with  a  proper  companion  ;  but  I  think  I  could  not  do 
•*  it  without  danger  to  myself.  If  I  were  somew hat  advanced 
"  in  the  Christian  life,  and  more  stable  in  the  way  of  truth, 
*«  I  perhaps  might;  but  at  present  I  cannot,  I  dare  not  trust 
"  the  deceitfulness  of  my  own  heart.  In  the  retirement  of  a 
<«  college,  r  am  unable  to  suppress  evil  thoughts  and  vain 
«  wishes ;  how  then  must  it  be  abroad  ?  Besides,  I  find  that 
*«  the  art  of  study  is  difficult  to  attain.  I  must  serve  a  long 
"  apprenticeship  to  it  ere  I  am  a  good  proficient.  The  great- 
<«  est  danger  lies  in  breaking  the  thread  of  attention.  On 
*«  whatever  study  my  mind  is  fixed,  that  study  I  can  with 
"pleasure  resume;  but  if  an  interval  of  a  day  intervene,  my 
«  attention  is  disengaged.  I  am  conscious  that  I  have  lost  a 
"  day  as  to  that  study,  and  find  it  irksome  to  begin  de  novo, 
"  But  if  instead  of  a  day,  an  interval  of  a  week  or  month  should 
*<  intervene,  it  would  be  a  Herculean  labour  to  resume  it ; 
"and  nothing  could  smooth  the  way,  but  a  conviction  that 
«  the  interruption  was  from  necessity  ;  then,  indeed,  my  duty 
<«  would  remove  the  obstacle. 

"  That  you  may  have  some  idea  of  the  nature  of  my  present 
<«  studies,  I  shall  subjoin  the  calendar  of  a  day. 

H 


^  MEMOIRS  OF 

^  bef".  5  ^  \- 

^  I  Devotional  Studies,  i  | 

^Breakfast  and  Recreation.    * 


9- 

i>Mathematics. 


11 


3  i  Dinner  and  Recreation, 

5  ^  Classics. 

-.  J>Engagements  or  Recreation, 

8  I  Classics,  or  Logic,  &c. 

.Q  J>Devotional  Studies. 

iT 


12 
1 

3 
i  after  4- 


►Sleep. 


Few  persons  would  be  disposed  to  think,  on  reviewing  the 
preceding  distribution  of  his  time,  that  Mr.  Buchanan  had  at 
this  early  period  of  his  academical  course  assigned  too  small 
a  portion  to  studies  directly  connected  with  his  future  pro- 
fession. This  is,  however,  the  reflection  which  he  immedi- 
ately suggests  to  his  friend  ;  expressing  his  fears,  which 
were  certainly  groundless,  lest  his  patron  should  say,  that  he 
had  not  sent  him  to  Cambridge  to  learn  geometry ;  and, 
above  all,  lest  the  science  which  he  was  thus  diligently  pur- 
suing should  not  ultimately  reward  him.  It  would,  indeed, 
he  says,  he  distressing  to  him,  to  appear  unqualified  for  his 
office  as  a  preacher ;  *«  but  then  I  hope,''  he  adds,  "  I  shall 
*«  make  more  commendable  proficiency  in  my  divine  studies 
«  when  I  undertake  them.  This  hope  alone  enables  me  to 
«  persevere  in  my  present  course." 

The  observations  which  follow  in  the  same  letter  are  too 
valuable  to  be  omitted. 

"I  apprehend,"  continues  Mr.  Buchanan,  "  that  a  stu- 
"  dent  should  labour  as  for  his  daily  bread  ;  not  choosing  the 
«  study  he  may  like  best,  for  then  it  would  be  no  labour^  but 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  59 

<<  learning  the  great  lesson  of  self-denial  by  taking  up  the 
^^  study  he  likes  least,  if  it  be  best  for  him.  If  I  can  by 
"  nine  hours  study  a  day  serve  my  heavenly  Master  as  faith- 
«  fully  as  I  served  Mr.  D.  I  think  he  will  give  me  my  hire. 
*<  You  cannot  be  surprised  if  sometimes  I  have  my  doubts, 
<*  when  I  see  the  other  serious  students  walking  in  a  path 
"  directly  contrary.  All  of  them,  I  think,  but  one,  (Mr.  C.) 
<<  have  followed  their  own  inclinations  in  this  matter  ;  and, 
^^  in  opposition  to  the  advice  of  the  experienced  servants  of 
"  God,  have  substituted  divinity  in  lieu  of  mathematics.  The 
"  reason  they  give  is,  that  they  do  not  see  it  to  be  so  and 
"'  so.  Yet  it  is  w^ortliy  of  remark,  that  they  do  not  appear 
♦^  to  bring  forth  the  fruits  that  might  be  expected  in  those 
•<  very  studies  they  love.  I  do  not  think  that  they  live 
**  nearer  to  God  for  it,  or  make  such  proficiency  as  students 
•*  earnest  in  their  work  should  do.  For  myself,  I  know^  not 
"  what  is  best.  Mr.  C.  the  mathematical  divine,  has  a  more 
•«  heavenly  deportment  than  any  of  them.  This  they  ac- 
"  knowledge,  though  it  is  somewhat  of  a  paradox  to  them  ;  but 
•^  I  think  it  will  be  solved  to  some  of  them  ere  long.  I  am  in- 
*<  clined  to  believe,  that  were  I  an  eminent  saint,  I  should  be  , 
<<  a  good  mathematician,  a  good  linguist,  a  good  scripturist. 

*<I  hope  that  the  Lord  is  leading  us  all  in  the  right  path, 
"  and  directing  us  individually  to  those  studies  which  he  sees 
"necessary  for  the  station  he  intends  we  shall  fill;  and  if 
"  any  of  us  undertake  an  improper  study  from  improper 
*<  motives,  or  a  proper  study  at  an  improper  time,  like  no- 
"  vices  depending  on  our  own  judgment,  I  trust  that  we  shall 
*<  learn  by  it  a  lesson  more  useful  tlian  any  study — a  know^- 
"  ledge  of  ourselves,  and  of  our  inability  to  do  any  thing 
*«  aright,  much  less  to  conduct  such  an  important  under- 
•«  taking  as  the  studies  of  a  disciple  of  Christ. 

•<  I  should  be  exceedingly  thankful  for  any  hint  that  may 
<*  occasionally  occur  to  you  respecting  the  government  of 
"  myself,  and  of  my  studies.  The  price  which  1  have  paid 
"  for  the  little  wisdom  I  have  obtained  is  very  dear.  Gladly 
<«  then  would  I  listen  to  the  voice  of  experience." 

It  might  perhaps  be  expected,  after  such  evident  proofs 
of  the  enlarged,  yet  pious  and  temperate  views  whicli   Mr. 


60  MEMOIRS  OF 

Buchanan   entertained    respecting    the    pursuit  of  human 
learning,  that  he  would  have  heen  advised  to  continue  his 
course  patiently   and  uninterruptedly.     The  peculiar   cir- 
cumstances, however,  of  his  case,  and  even  the  chastised 
nrdour  with  which  he  appeared  to  he  animated  in  his  acade- 
mical studies,  excited   some  apprehensions  in  the  mind  of 
the  venerable  friend  whose  advice  he  had  solicited,  and  in- 
duced him  to  suggest  some  modification  of  the  plan  which  he 
had  himself  originally  approved.     The  particular  grounds  of 
his  opinion  can  only  now  be   conjectured  from  the  tenor  of 
Mr.  Buchanan's  reply;  which  enters  with  so  much  judgment 
and  feeling  into  this  interesting  subject,  that  the  insertion  of 
the  greater  part  of  it  will  scarcely  be  deemed  superfluous. 

<^  I  was  in  earnest,"  he  begins,  "  when  in  my  last  I  so- 
"  licited  your  advice  and  direction ;  and  because  I  was  in 
"  earnest,  I  think  that  your  letter  will  be  accompanied  with 
"  a  blessing  to  me. 

«^  Your  jealousy  lest  my  heart  might  be  gradually  attached 
« to  our  academical  studies,  awakened  my  fears,  and  1 
'«  prayed  for  divine  aid  while  I  scrutinized  myself  and  my 
«  views  ;  and  now  I  must  candidly  acknowledge,  that  I  he- 
*«  lieve  your  doubts  to  be  well  foimded ;  I  believe  that  you 
'i  are  right,  and  that  many  of  my  friends  here  are  wrong  ;  I 
"  say  I  believe  it,  for  as  yet  I  am  not  sure :  you  and  they 
<«  view  me  in  a  different  liglit ;  hence  arises  this  difference 
«  of  opinion  relating  to  tlic  plan  of  my  studies.  These  gen- 
"tlemen,  not  only  bred  at  this  University,  but  anxious  for 
"  its  fame,  and  still  more  for  that  of  the  religious  students  in 
«  it,  are  desirous,  that  we  should  excel  in  tlie  studies  of  the 
"  place,  that  we  may,  as  it  were,  shed  some  lustre  (in  the 
*<  eyes  of  men)  on  that  Gospel  which  the  learned  despise. 
<«  The  grand  argument  we  use  against  infidels,  who  deride 
"the  truth  as  being  only  professed  by  men  of  weak  judg- 
ement, is  to  point  out  some  learned  Christian,  (if  such  can 
"  be  found  ;)  and  then  say  with  St.  Paul,  (« Are  you  a  He- 
«'  brew  ?  so  am  I,')  Are  you  a  mathematician  ?  so  is  he. 
"  Are  you  a  classic,  a  historian  ?  so  is  he.  What  are  you  ?  he 
"  is  all  that ;  but  he  is  something  more.     Now  it  is  natural 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  61 

"  to  adopt  such  an  argument  when  we  can.  On  this  account 
^«  these  gentlemen  are  eager  to  incline  the  serious  young 
<^  men  to  the  studies  of  the  University,  which  they  therefore 
**  represent  as  being  not  only  ornamental  but  useful.  Now 
"  this  may  be  good  advice  to  a  young  man  who  has  many 
<^  years  before  him,  and  expects  to  reside  as  a  Fellow  of  a 
"  college,  and  preach  occasionally  at  the  University  Church. 
^«ButI  am  not  of  this  description;  yet  they  look  upon  me 
"  as  one  who  is  to  grow  old  in  their  own  family  ;  which  is  as 
"  improbable -as  I  am  averse  to  it.  It  was  but  the  other  day 
"  that  one  of  my  friends  hinted  to  me,  tliat  it  would  be  wortli 
"my  while  to  change  my  college,  that  I  might  have  a  good 
*'  Fellowship  as  a  reward  for  my  exertions.  I  am  frequently 
<«  addressed  in  such  words  as  these.  «  Do  pray  persevere  in 
"  your  reading ;  devote  your  evening  and  morning  hour 
<*  to  your  closet,  but  give  the  rest  of  the  day  to  the  studies 
"of  the  place.  Nothing  can  redound  more  to  the  credit 
*«  of  the  Gospel.  The  most  holy  conduct  will  not  here  avail 
"  so  much  as  that.  Besides,  you  w411  be  amply  repaid  by 
"  your  rapid  progress,  when  you  begin  your  professional 
"  studies.'  And  now  that  my  college  has  given  me  both  an 
«  exhibition  and  a  scholarship,  they  say,  <  Did  we  not  tell 
«  you  so?  You  see  that  religion  and  diligence  in  academical 
^<  study  are  mutual  helps  to  each  other.'  If  I  have  been  allur- 
"  ed  by  such  speeches  from  those  who  are  superior  to  my- 
"  self  in  knowledge  and  experience,  is  it  wonderful  ? 

"  This  then  is  their  mistake.  They  address  me  as  if  I 
"  were  always  to  reside  among  them,  and  to  remain  an  ex- 
"  ample  either  of  learning  or  ignorance.  As  a  young  enthu- 
"  siast,  they  consider  themselves  responsible  for  me  to  the 
"  University. 

"  On  tlie  other  hand,  you  view  me  as  having  come  to  the 
"  University,  not  so  much  to  qualify  myself  for  the  ministry, 
"  as  to  pave  the  way  for  my  ordination,  and  think  it  of  little 
"  import  whether  my  name  were  ever  heard  in  Cambridge 
"  or  not.     If  this  is  riglit,  their  arguments  are  mostly  out  of 

•<  place.     Mr.  approaches  more  nearly  to  your  senti- 

*«  ments  than  any  of  them. 


62  MEMOIRS  OF 

<<  I  shall  now  give  you  the  result  of  my  own  deliberations 
^^on  the  subject.  Rather  than  you  should  have  a  moment's 
"  uneasiness  lest  the  purity  of  my  heart  should  be  tainted 
«  by  mathematics,  I  would  throw  every  mathematical  book 
*<  I  have  into  the  fire,  and  make  them  a  funeral  pile  to  the 
<<  manes  of  your  jealousy.  For  compared  with  the  word  of 
<^  truth,  they  are  as  dross  to  fine  gold.  In  a  certain  degree 
'<  they  may  be  useful,  and  to  that  degree  I  would  desire 
<<  them ;  and  I  hope  to  be  led  so  far,  and  no  farther.  At  first 
"  I  disliked  them ;  but  considering  them  as  a  nauseous  medi- 
<<  cine  which  miglit  do  me  some  good,  I  took  them  up.  You 
«  too  bade  me.  After  a  while,  they  became  more  palatable, 
<'  and  at  length  a  pleasing  study.  For  this  I  was  exceed- 
<^  ingly  thankful,  as  they  were  in  the  way  of  my  duty.  But 
^'  now  as  I  have  arrived  at  a  certain  length  in  them,  and 
<*  have  in  view  very  soon  to  enter  on  an  important  office  which 
*'*^  requires  much  preparation,  I  think  it  will  be  right — not  to 
^^  relinquish  them  wholly;  I  do  not  mean  that :  but  so  to  cir- 
*<  cumscribe  them,  and  my  other  academical  exercises,  as  to 
<•  afford  me  a  considerable  proportion  of  the  day  (the  half  if 
^<  possible)  for  <  the  preparation  of  the  Gospel  of  peace.' 

(^  I  do  not  mean  to  put  this  sudden  resolution  into  practice, 
<*  till  I  know  whether  it  be  right.  From  some  experience  I 
<«  know  myself  to  be  weak,  injudicious,  inconstant,  changeable. 
« I  shall  therefore  prosecute  my  studies  as  usual,  till  I  hear 
"  from  you.  Having  acquired  somewhat  of  a  reputation  for 
<<  my  attention  to  college  studies,  if  I  can  preserve  it,  it  will 
«  be  a  desirable  thing.  If  not,  I  cannot  help  it ;  I  willingly 
(f  sacrifice  it  <  to  a  better  name.' 

"  You  do  me  great  honour  in  the  proposal  you  have  made. 
f<  I  would  rather  serve  you  in  your  old  age  than  a  sceptre- 
*<  bearing  king.  But  I  much  fear  that  my  services  at  so 
*'  early  a  period  will  be  weak  and  inadequate.  It  is  like 
<«  taking  a  babe  out  of  his  cradle,  to  support  the  steps  of  his 
"  aged  parent.  But  I  am  in  God's  hands  :  whatever  he  sees 
"  fit  for  me  to  do,  I  hope  he  will  incline  my  heart,  and  en- 
"  able  me  to  do  it.  But  as  I  cannot  expect  that  he  will  work 
««  a  miracle  by  qualifying  me  for  his  service  at  once,  it  is 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  63 

*^  certainly  my  duty  to  resort  to  the  means  now,  and  pray 
<«  for  his  blessing  on  his  own  studies.  Surely  I  ought  not  to 
<^  procrastinate. 

<<  You  ask  me  whether  I  would  prefer  preaching  the  Gos- 
"  pel  to  the  fame  of  learning  ?  Ay,  that  would  I,  gladly. 
^^  Were  I  convinced  it  was  the  will  of  God  that  I  should  de- 
*<  part  this  night  for  Nova  Zembla  or  the  Antipodes,  to  tes- 
"  tify  of  Him,  I  would  not  wait  for  an  audit,  or  a  college  exit. 
"  There  is  nothing  to  be  found  here  to  satisfy  my  mind. 
«  There  are  indeed  many  gaudy  vanities  of  specious  appear- 
^«  ance,  pleasing  to  my  fleshly  eye ;  but  if  I  know  my  own 
<<  heart,  the  Lord  Jesus  is  at  this  moment  more  lovely  to  me 
«  than  the  loveliest  object  which  the  eye  can  see,  or  fancy 
*^  paint.  And  though  I  know  him  not  as  I  could  wish,  yet  is 
<<  he  precious.  He  is  that  pearl,  which  I  would  willingly 
«  buy  at  the  price  of  all  the  laurels  which  science  ever  bore. 
««  But  I  speak  this  in  his  strength.  I  wish  not  to  be  tried 
<^  with  wealth,  honour,  or  the  applause  of  men.  A  laurel 
"  even  in  preaching  the  Gospel  might  intoxicate  my  brain, 
"  and  drown  my  humble  dependence  on  God,  in  Lethe. 
"  Then,  like  Lucifer,  should  I  preach  humility  !  Lord,  my 
*^  affections  are  now  in  thy  possession.    O  keep  them  there  ! 

<«  You  ask  me  what  are  my  views  ?  Dear  Sir,  what  views 
««  can  /  have  ?  God  has  views  concerning  me  :  I  have  none. 
"  He  best  knows  why  he  brought  me  hither :  I  know  not. 
«  Once  I  used  to  think,  that  as  He  had  wrought  so  won- 
"  drously  for  me,  he  surely  meant  me  for  an  eminent  preach- 
<•'  er  of  the  Gospel.  Pride  dictated  this.  I  have  now  no  such 
"  high  thoughts  of  myself.  I  am  in  some  degree  sensible, 
"  that  if  I  ever  serve  the  Lord  at  all,  I  shall  be  one  of  his 
« weakest  servants.  Nor  are  these  mere  disqualifying 
<<  speeches.  I  have  reason  to  fear  that  I  am  much  more 
«  deficient  than  you  apprehend.  Nevertheless,  with  all  my 
<^  defects,  I  know  the  divine  power.  I  have  laid  my  hand 
<«  to  the  plough  ;  he  can  make  me  useful. 

<^  You  desire  to  know  whether  1  would  accept  ordination 
"  before  I  take  my  degree,  if  it  could  be  procured  ?  Yes, 
^«  without  any  hesitation,  if  I  thought  it  was  the  will  of  God. 


64  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  Were  I  to  submit  it  to  our  friends  here,  they  would  uiiani- 
**  mously  dissuade  it ;  but  I  do  not  feel  myself  at  liberty  to 
««  consult  them.  In  order  to  have  it  in  my  power  to  assist 
"  you  as  soon  as  possible^  I  would  gladly  receive  ordination 
"  before  the  prescribed  time  ,*  but  in  that  case  I  sliould  de- 
<»  sire  immediately  to  alter  my  plan  of  study,  and  prepare 
<^  myself  a  little,  who  need  so  much  preparation. 

"  If  my  purpose  of  beginning  the  studies  of  divinity  be 
**  proper  and  practicable,  could  you  give  me  the  outline  of 
"  what  you  conceive  to  be  best  worthy  my  attention  in 
^'  primordio?  Mr.  S.  I  know,  will  also  be  glad  to  lend  me 
'^  every  assistance. 

<«  A  new  desire  of  preaching  the  Gospel  has  certainly 
<<  sprung  up  in  my  heart,  accompanied  by  ideas  I  do  not  re- 
^'  collect  to  have  had  before.  I  hope  it  is  no  delusion.  As 
'(  yet  it  has  produced  noble  effects  on  my  heart  and  views. 
"  But  in  a  month's  time  I  shall  be  better  able  to  say,  whe- 
<<  ther  it  be  of  God,  or  no." 

The  preceding  letter  is  dated  in  August  1792,  from  which 
time  till  the  October  following,  Mr.  Buchanan  appears  to 
have  continued  the  course  of  study  which  he  had  proposed 
at  the  commencement  of  the  long  vacation.  The  sentiments, 
however,  expressed  in  that  letter,  combined  with  the  sug- 
gestions of  the  venerable  friend  to  whose  advice  he  natural- 
ly paid  much  deference,  prepare  us  to  expect  some  alter- 
ation in  his  plan.  The  question  as  to  the  wisdom  of  such  a 
step,  may  admit  of  some  difference  of  opinion.  Had  Mr. 
Buchanan  been  a  few  years  younger,  it  would  obviously  have 
been  his  duty  to  have  persevered  in  his  exertions  to  excel 
in  the  peculiar  studies  of  the  University.  No  conclusion, 
however,  unfavourable  to  such  a  course  in  the  case  of  the 
generality  of  students,  ought  to  be  drawn  from  his  example. 
He  had  already  proved  both  his  ability  and  his  diligence, 
and  had  the  prospect  of  attaining,  even  with  diminished 
application,  an  adequate  share  of  scientific  knowledge. 
Though  it  can  scarcely  be  doubted,  therefore,  that  conti- 
nued and  exclusive  efforts  would  have  rendered  him  suc- 
cessful in  the  competition  for  academical  honours  ^  there  are 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  65 

but  few,  peiliaps,  who,  under  all  the  circumstances  of  his 
case,  will  not  consider  him  as  having  piously,  if  not  wisely 
judged,  in  abandoning  that  flattering  pursuit;  and  in  re- 
solving to  devote  a  larger  proportion  of  his  time  to  studies 
more  congenial  to  his  taste  and  feelings,  and  more  directly 
subservient  to  his  ultimate  destination. 

At  the  close  of  the  long  vacation,  Mr.  Buchanan  accord- 
ingly communicated  this  determination  both  to  Mr.  Newton 
and  to  one  of  his  friends  in  Cambridge  ;  who,  while  he  cor- 
dially approved  it,  recommended  him  at  the  same  time  not 
to  announce  it  publicly,  lest  he  should  incur  the  imputation  of 
being  fickle  or  irresolute  in  his  plans. 

"  I  fear,  however,"  he  observes,  in  writing  to  the  former 
of  these  friends,  ^<  that  it  will  be  diflicult  for  me  to  conceal 
<<  the  change,  as  I  must  undergo  two  examinations  next 
"year,  which  will  abundantly  scrutinize  my  proficiency; 
'<  besides,  I  have  many  competitors,  who  will  exult  when 
"  they  see  me  halt.  But  I  trust  I  shall  be  enabled  to  make 
"  every  necessary  sacrifice.  What  is  my  fame  compared 
"  with  that  of  the  Gospel  ?  My  desire  is,  that  my  light  may 
"  so  shine  before  men,  that  they  seeing  my  good  works  may 
«  glorify  my  Father  who  is  in  heaven." 

The  continuation  of  this  letter  shews  the  sincerity  of  this 
profession,  and  the  anxiety  which  Mr.  Buchanan  felt  to 
fulfil  it. 

"  How  happy,"  he  says,  "  should  I  be,  did  I  always  know 
"  what  these  good  works  are.  It  is  strange  that  I  should 
"  err  when  I  have  the  Bible  to  direct  me ;  but  I  find  that  it 
"  requires  much  of  divine  teaching  to  apply  the  general 
^«  rules  of  Scripture  to  particular  cases.  For  instance,  I 
«  would  gladly  know,  whether  it  is  the  will  of  God  that  I 
<«  should  associate  with  my  fellow  students  more  than  I  do. 
«  Whether  I  ought  to  separate  myself,  or  mingle  with  them, 
«  endeavour  to  obtain  some  weight  among  them,  and  correct 
"  their  manners,  and  seek  opportunities  of  speaking  for  God. 
«  Some  of  them,  perhaps,  never  heard  the  terms  of  the  Gos- 
«  pel  in  their  lives.  If  I  were  <  wise  as  a  serpent,'  I  might 
«  possibly,  under  God,  entwine  some  of  them  in  the  net  of 

I 


6(5  MEMOIRS  OF 

**  the  Gospel.  Of  late  this  subject  has  been  much  on  my 
"  mind,  and  I  have  been  earnest  in  prayer  that  I  may  be 
*<  made  useful  to  some  of  them.  At  my  rooms  they  have  al- 
«  ways  acted  with  the  strictest  decorum  ;  scarcely  a  faulty 
*^  word  has  been  spoken ;  and  I  know  not  but  I  might  have 
"  been  a  restraint  upon  tliem  at  their  own.  My  prin- 
<«  eipal  reason  for  resisting  their  frequent  invitations,  is  a 
<*  fear  lest  I  should  lose  time  in  idle  conversation,  or  be  un- 
"  awares  led  into  undue  compliances.  This  latter  operated 
"  much  with  me.  I  have  been  surprised  that  my  conduct  did 
<<  not  draw  upon  me  their  open  reproach.  But  the  Lord 
*^  <  tempers  the  wind  to  the  shorn  lamb.'  Last  year  I  was 
•*  extremely  weak,  ill-grounded  in  the  truth,  and  perhaps 
*<  should  have  sunk  under  much  opposition.  During  this  va- 
"  cation,  I  trust  I  have  obtained  more  spiritual  strength ; 
*<  and  perhaps  I  shall  soon  bave  occasion  to  exercise  it." 

Those  wlio  have  experienced  similar  doubts  and  difficul- 
ties will  be  able  to  enter  into  the  preceding  expression  of 
them.  Mr.  Buchanan  appears  to  have  steered  that  middle 
course,  between  absolute  seclusion  and  indiscriminate  asso- 
ciation in  college,  which  is  dictated  by  enlightened  piety  and 
Christian  prudence ;  and  the  general  respect  in  which  he 
was  evidently  held,  affords  a  sufficient  assurance  of  the  be- 
neficial influence  of  his  example. 

In  compliance  with  his  request,  Mr.  Newton  had  recom- 
mended several  books  to  Mr.  Buchanan  for  the  commence- 
ment of  his  theological  studies.  To  this  point  he  therefore 
next  refers. 

«  I  propose  to  confine  myself  to  three  branches  of  divinity 
*«  during  the  following  year;  namely,  the  Bible,  Bp.  Pear- 
••  son  on  the  Creed,  and  Mr.  Simeon's  Lectures  on  Revealed 
•«  Religion*.  He  went  through  a  course  of  natural  religion 
"  last  year.  My  reason  for  beginning  with  Pearson  is, 
^<  because  Dr.  Hey  gives  public  lectures  on  that  author, 
«  w^hich  I  wish  to  attend,  if  my  college  avocations  permit." 
In  addition  to  the  motives  which  have  been  already  stated 
for  relaxation  in  his  mathematical  studies,  Mr.  Buchanan 

a  Probably  delivered  in  his  Church, 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  67 

again  mentions  in  this  letter  the  importance  of  health,  «  1 
"  see,"  he  observes,  <«  many  around  me  whose  usefulness  is 
»<  abridged  by  the  want  of  it.  Mr.  L.  and  Mr.  R.  men  of 
•<  ability,  are  both  lying  by,  I  begin  to  tiiink,  that  if  at  the 
«  expiration  of  my  academic  course  I  have  good  healtii,  some 
*«  knowledge  of  the  Bible,  and  some  zeal,  I  may  prove  as 
•^  useful  as  some  who  have  great  abilities,  great  eloquence. 
•»  and — an  asthma  !" 

The  paragraph  immediately  following  contains  the  first 
specific  intimation  of  the  important  and  interesting  sphere 
of  ministerial  labour,  to  which  the  providence  of  God  was 
conducting  him. 

"  Mr.  and  Mrs.  G.  passed  through  Cambridge  lately. 
•«  Mr.  S.  and  I  dined  and  supped  with  them.  I  hope  the 
<•  conversation  of  that  evening  was  useful  to  me.  From  hear- 
•«  ing  various  accounts  of  the  apostolic  spirit  of  some  mis= 
"  sionaries  to  the  Indies,  and  of  the  extensive  field  for 
•<  preaching  the  Gospel  there,  I  was  led  to  desire  that  1 
*<  might  be  well  qualified  for  such  a  department,  in  case 
•«  God  should  intend  me  for  it  Hence  the  origin  of  my  three 
*i  desiderata  above  mentioned — scripture  knowledge,  some 
•^  zeal,  and  good  health." 

The  subject  of  elocution  is  that  to  which  Mr.  Buchanan 
next  adverts  in  this  letter. 

<«  I  have  read,"  he  proceeds,  «  many  codicils  in  my  time, 
"  but  I  never  read  any  one  with  such  pleasure  as  that  an- 
"  nexed  to  your  letter.  Do  you  think  it  possible  that  I  ever 
"  shall  be  able  to  preach  extempore  from  the  pulpit  ?  You 
"  know  my  defect  in  conversation.  I  scarcely  know  a  per- 
"  son  of  any  education  who  is  so  much  at  a  loss  in  ordinary 
"  expression  as  I  am.  My  fault  is  not  that  of  Demosthenes, 
*i  else  there  might  be  hopes  of  amendment.  I  have  no  natu- 
«  ral  defect  in  the  organs  of  speech  ;  but  I  can  never  find  apt 
"  words  to  express  my  ideas  without  much  premeditation. 
•<  I  have  a  pretty  large  stock  of  words  in  my  head,  but  they 
*<  are  seldom  used  :  so  that  when  I  am  able  to  draw  some  of 
«  them  out,  they  appear  quite  strange  to  me.  I  fancy  1  have 
«  some  hundreds  which  I  never  used  in  my  life.    This  part- 


68  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  ]y  arises  from  our  Scottish  mode  of  education — reading 
*«  much  and  speaking  little;  but  chiefly,  1  suppose,  from  my 
"  being  secluded  from  society  for  so  many  years.  During 
*<  my  residence  in  London,  I  lived,  like  the  Spectator,  in  si- 
"  lence.  My  business  was  to  write,  not  to  speak.  Since  my 
"coming  to  Cambridge,  I  have  passed  most  of  my  time  in 
«  silent  study.  On  an  average  I  suppose  I  have  not  spoken 
««  half  an  hour  a  day,  including  both  lectures  and  conversa- 
*<  tion.  So  you  see  that  taciturnity  is  a  disease  in  me ;  an 
"  evil  habit  of  five  years  standing.  When  a  boy  I  could 
*«  scold  well  enough,  but  I  do  not  think  I  could  scold  now.  In 
« conversation  I  am  naturally  cheerful,  and  therefore  I 
•«  must  speak,  whether  I  can  do  it  well  or  ill :  but  I  ascribe 
«  the  patience  of  my  company  to  my  cheerfulness,  not  to  my 
"  diction. 

"  Though  I  never  mentioned  it  to  you,  there  has  scarcely 
"  been  a  subject  more  on  my  mind,  since  Providence  open- 
"  ed  to  me  a  view  of  the  pulpit,  than  this  of  public  speaking. 
"  I  was  in  hopes  that  I  should  have  had  some  opportunity  of 
<«  improvement  at  Cambridge,  but  I  have  none.  Mr.  S.  re- 
*<  grets  that  there  is  no  person  in  Cambridge  who  teaches 
"  elocution,  and  he  regrets  it  much  on  my  account.  He  has 
"  kindly  proposed  to  me  to  read  to  him  once  a  fortnight. 
"  This  is  my  only  resource  at  present.  I  have  little  advan- 
^«  tage  from  my  college  companions.  Most  of  them  speak  ill, 
*^  and  read  worse.  All  I  can  do  is  to  read  aloud  by  myself 
"  occasionally.  I  am  persuaded  that  it  would  be  worth  a 
«  student's  while  to  spend  two  or  three  hours  a  day,  for 
"  some  years  previous  to  his  entering  into  the  ministry,  in 
«  the  attainment  of  that  accomplishment  which  distinguished 
"  the  preacher  Apollos.  I  have  often  thought  how  glad  I 
*«  should  be  if  oratory  were  introduced  into  my  college  course 
«  instead  of  mathematics.  Mr.  Thornton's  desires  on  this 
«  head  should  be  an  additional  inducement  to  me  to  apply 
"  diligently  to  this  study." 

Though  the  peculiar  circumstances  of  Mr.  Buchanan's 
birth  and  education  may  account  for  his  complaint  and  anx- 
iety upon  the  subject  of  elocution,  it  is  but  too  notorious,  that 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  69 

those  who  do  not  labour  under  his  disadvantages  are  fre- 
quently as  deficient,  and  not  seldom  much  more  so,  in  this 
important  accomplishment.  To  judge  by  its  general  neglect, 
at  least  among  clerical  students,  it  might  almost  be  imagined, 
that  to  excel  in  it  is  deemed  discreditable.     The  total  ab- 
sence of  propriety,  force,  and  dignity  in  the  celebration  of 
divine  service,  in  the  public  reading  of  the  holy  Scriptures, 
and  in  the  delivery  of  discourses  from  the  pulpit,  which  may 
so  commonly  be  observed,  can  scarcely  otherwise  be  ac- 
counted for.    An  affected  and  ostentatious  display  of  artifi- 
cial elocution  in  the  performance  of  the  sacred  offices  of  the 
church,  is,  indeed,  even  more  disgusting  than  rusticity  and 
negligence.    It  is  nothing  of  this  kind  which  is  intended  to 
be  recommended  ;  and  on  this  account  it  is  by  no  means  ad- 
visable to  have  recourse  to  any  secular  professors  of  the  art 
of  speaking.     It  is  with  elocution  as  with  eloquence  itself, 
that  clear  apprehensions  of  the  subject,  good  taste,  and  deep 
feeling,  will  in  all  ordinary  cases,  and  even  under  some  na- 
tural advantages,  secure  the  most  important  ends  of  public 
speaking.     It  is,  however,  a  point  which  deserves  much 
more  attention  than  is  usually  given  to  it  j  and  amongst 
other  improvements  in  the  present  age,  it  must  be  confessed, 
that  its 'importance  is  beginning  to  be  more  justly  apprecia- 
ted.   The  prize  instituted  in  the  University  of  Cambridge 
for  the  promotion  of  this  accomplishment,  by  the  late  excel- 
lent Bishop  Porteus,  himself  a  striking  example  of  forcible 
and  dignified  elocution,  might  be  imitated  with  advantage  in 
every  seminary  of  learning ;  nor  can  those  who  are  judges 
of  good  speaking  perform  a  more  important  service  to  cleri- 
cal students,  than  by  freely  suggesting  to  them  hints  for  the 
correction  of  their  errors,  or  the  attainment  of  excellence  in 
that  arta. 

Mr.  Buchanan  was  probably  led  to  the  subject  of  elocution 
by  an  appointment  to  declaim  in  college  in  Latin,  on  the  en- 
suing fifth  of  November.  He  expresses  in  the  preceding  let- 
ter his  embarrassment  in  looking  forward  to  this  office  ;  but 

*  See  Bishop  Gibson's  instructions  to  his  clergy  in  the  Clergyipan's  Insttuctor, 
p.  310,  and  Archbishop  Hort's  in  the  same  volume. 


yO  MEMOIRS  OF 

instead  of  yielding  to  his  fears,  or  shrinking  from  what  may 
readily  be  believed  to  have  been  a  trial  to  him,  he  applied 
vigorously  to  the  duty  which  had  been  imposed  upon  him ; 
and  after  frequent  repetitions  of  his  composition  in  private, 
in  one  of  which  he  enjoyed  the  advantage  of  the  observations 
of  a  friend  well  qualified  to  advise  him  both  as  to  the  matter 
of  his  declamation  and  his  manner  of  speaking,  he  succeeded 
in  delivering  it  with  more  self-possession,  propriety,  and 
animation,  than  he  had  ever  exhibited  in  his  own  room. 

"  This,"  he  adds,  "  was  a  great  victory  over  myself, 
"  and  was  matter  of  much  thankfulness.  When  I  declaim 
"on  a  more  important  subject,  I  trust  I  shall  be  equally 
"  assisted." 

At  the  commencement  of  Michaelmas  term,  Mr.  Buchan- 
an informed  his  friend  Mr.  Newton,  that  his  health  was 
much  improved ;  but  that  in  looking  forward  to  five  weeks 
of  lectures,  he  feared  that  deference  to  his  tutors,  and  his 
natural  pride,  might  lead  him  to  study  them  more  closely 
than,  after  all  that  had  now  passed  upon  that  subject,  he  felt 
he  ought, 

"  I  have  been  indulging  myself  a  little,"  he  observes, 
«  in  writing  a  sermon.  It  is  for  Mr.  S.'s  perusal;  that  he 
"maybe  able  to  judge  of  my  improvement,  if  I  am  spared 
"  to  write  another  next  year.  It  is  on  the  matter  and  man- 
«ner  of  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel:  *And  he  spake  boldly 
"in  the  name  of  Jesws;'  Acts  ix.  29.  I  have  just  delivered 
"it  to  Mr.  S.;  I  fear  he  will  think  it  a  rhapsody :  and  what 
"  makes  it  worse,  it  is  twenty-seven  pages  long.  I  fancy 
"  that  youthful  sermon-writers  are  generally  at  a  loss  how  to 
"  begin,  and  when  they  do  begin,  they  know  not  whereto  stop  J' 
Of  the  manner  in  which  Mr.  Buchanan  spent  the  term, 
the  commencement  of  which  he  announced  in  the  foregoing 
letter,  some  opinion  may  be  formed  by  the  following,  dated 
the  26th  of  March  1793,  in  which  he  informed  the  same  ve- 
nerable correspondent  of  its  close, 

"Having  finished  the  labours  of  a  long  term,  I  sit  down 
"  with  pleasure  to  enquire  after  your  health,  to  beg  your 
"  blessing,  and  to  request  the  assistance  of  your  prayers. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  7I 

if  I  liope  you  will  not  desire  me  to  shew  you  the  fruit  of  my 
"  labours.  I  am  very  unlike  those  geniuses  who  reap  know- 
"  ledge  by  handsfuL  My  improvement  is  so  slow,  that  it  is 
<<  scarcely  visible ;  I  seem  only  to  vegetate  in  science. 
«  Though  planted  by  the  banks  of  the  Cam,  his  stream 
"  waters  my  roots  in  vain.  This  is  humiliating  ;  but  it  may 
"  be  useful,  if  it  shew  me  that  I  am  more  likely  to  flourish 
"  if  planted  on  the  banks  of  the  stream  of  Zion.  When  I 
^<  consider  how  Cambridge  is  favoured,  I  ought  to  look  on 
*« myself  as  already  there.  This  is  indeed  the  case:  but, 
"  hostile  to  my  own  growth,  I  drink  of  the  Cam,  and  sip  of 
^*  Zion  ;  whereas  I  ought  to  sip  of  the  Cam,  and  drink  deep 
"  of  Zion. 

"  For  some  time  past  I  have  been  making  many  discove- 
"  ries  in  the  kingdom  of  nature,  but  few  in  the  kingdom  of 
<(  grace.  Since  I  last  saw  you,  I  have  in  idea  traced  the 
"  planets  in  their  courses,  and  soared  through  the  regions 
"  of  boundless  space.  Philosophy,  I  find,  agrees  with  re- 
"  velation  in  declaring,  that  the  earth  (compared  with  the 
"  universe)  is  but  as  an  atom  of  the  dust  that  cleaveth  to  the 
<<  balance.  It  is  indeed  highly  honoured  in  being  called  the 
«  footstool  of  the  Most  High.  The  eclipses  of  the  sun,  the 
*«  labours  of  the  moon,  and  the  sweet  influences  of  the  Pleia- 
«  des,  have  also  engaged  my  attention. 

<«  While  thus  viewing  the  things  made,  one  would  have 
"  thought  that  I  should  have  turned  my  eyes  to  their  Maker. 
"  But  by  a  strange  perverseness,  I  often  found  it  easier  to 
"  comprehend  an  abstruse  problem,  than  to  meditate  on 
<«  a  simple  truth.  On  the  w  hole,  however,  I  have  met 
f'  with  no  part  of  science  which  led  me  nearer  to  the  source 
<^  of  true  knowledge,  than  this  of  investigating  the  wisdom 
<^  of  God  in  the  creation. 

"  In  addition  to  my  matliematical  studies,  I  have  had  a 
"  classical  task  assigned  me.  The  college  gave  out  for  my 
<«  declamation  the  following  thesis.  An  in  Civitate  bene  con- 
^f  stituta,  Ludi  Scenici  admitti  deleant?  As  I  considered  this'^ 
<«  to  be  in  some  measure  the  cause  of  religion,  I  thought  it 
«  right  to  pay  attention  to  it.     For  this  purpose  I  employed 


7^  MEMOIRS  OF 

*'  myself  in  classical  research,  till  I  had  found  sufficient  author- 
*<  ities  from  the  Greeks,  Romans,  and  Fathers,  to  condemn 
"  the  stage,  not  only  as  immoral,  hut  as  impolitic.  I  ad- 
"  verted  to  the  encouragement  lately  given  it  by  the  French, 
*^  and  argued  thence  its  evil  tendency. 

"  I  have  now  done  with  all  our  lectures,  and  I  am  glad  of 
"  it.  Though  I  found  some  things  here  and  there  which 
"  flattered  the  earthly  mind,  and  pleased  vain-glorious  rea- 
•<  son,  yet  in  all  my  researches  have  I  found  nothing  like — 
"  « Come  unto  me  all  ye  that  labour  and  are  heavy  laden, 
•^  and  I  will  give  you  rest.'  Perhaps  your  good  memory 
<*  will  remind  you  that  I  stole  this  idea  from  Archbishop 
*<  Leighton.  Agreeably  to  your  recommendation,  I  am  now 
"  reading  the  Preelections  of  that  good  man  :  and  I  must  say, 
"  that  I  have  seldom  met  with  such  genuine  Christianity  in 
"  such  a  classical  dress. 

*<  The  college  have  lately  appointed  me  their  librarian. 
^<  This  is  an  oflice  rather  of  trust  than  of  emolument.  My 
•»  business  is  easily  done,  as  I  am  only  required  to  give  in  an 
"  account  of  the  state  of  the  library  once  a  year.  Many  good 
»<  divines  of  the  last  century  have  found  a  place  in  it.  Haly- 
•<  burton's  life  has  engaged  my  attention  for  a  few  days  past. 
<«  His  work  on  the  Spirit"  (which  had  probably  been  recom- 
mended to  him  by  Mr.  Newton)  "  I  cannot  find." 

It  may  perhaps  be  objected,  that  the  progress  of  this  nar- 
rative is  too  much  interrupted  by  the  insertion  of  so  many 
extracts  from  Mr.  Buchanan's  letters ;  more  particularly  as 
some  of  them  relate  only  incidentally  to  himself.  Such  a 
suggestion  may  possibly  arise  on  the  perusal  of  the  following ; 
which,  however,  seemed  to  convey  sentiments  and  conso- 
lation too  interesting  to  be  omitted.  They  occur  in  a 
letter  to  Mr.  Newton,  from  Cambridge,  dated  May  the  30th, 
1793. 

«  It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  hear  that  you  are  still  sup- 
<«  ported  in  health  and  strength  sufticient  for  the  discharge 
«  of  your  ministerial  labours.  I  hope  that  you  will  continue 
^<  to  be  refreshed  abundantly  with  the  divine  presence  ;  and 
« I  pray,  that  as  your  body  yields  to  weakness  and  the  infir- 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  73 

«  mities  of  age,  your  spirit  may  derive  new  strength  from 
**  our  Redeemer's  fulness. 

('  I  sometimes  find  myself  indulging  a  wish,  that  your  ex- 
<<perience  in  your  evening  hour  may  be  singularly  joyful  to 
« you ;  and  that  your  death  may  preach  as  powerfully  as 
"  your  life  has  done.  But  I  believe  self  prompts  us  some- 
'<  times  to  too  sanguine  expectations  respecting  our  friends. 
"  Let  us  not  dictate,  but  wait  and  see  the  salvation  of  the 
<<  Lord.  He  will  conduct  you  in  the  path  most  suitable  to  his 
**  own  glory,  your  good,  and  our  edification. 

«  We  have  lately  had  an  illustrious  instance  of  God's  good- 

"  ness  to  his  children  at  tbe  hour  of  death.     Mrs. ,  of 

"  this  place,  was  a  woman  of  eminent  piety,  cheerful  in  dis- 
'« position,  and  of  elegant  manners.  She  was  but  twenty- 
<«  five  years  of  age.  I  was  introduced  to  her  family  about  a 
<«  twelvemonth  ago,  and  have  diligently  cultivated  her  ac- 
<«quaintance  ever  since.  Soon  after  her  rising  from  her 
*«  confinement,  she  discovered  that  she  was  in  a  rapid  con- 
«*  sumption  ;  and  in  a  few  weeks  the  strength  of  the  malady 
*«  seemed  to  forbid  all  hopes  of  life.  Her  bodily  pains  were 
^«  extreme,  so  that  she  frequently  expressed  a  desire  to  be 
««  with  the  Lord ;  but  she  had  yet  two  ties  to  earth — her 
"  husband  and  her  child.  The  child  she  was  soon  enabled 
"  to  give  up,  but  the  husband — this  she  confessed  to  be  a 
*^  trial  indeed.  However,  after  strong  cries  and  tears,  she  ob- 
«*tained  a  victory  here  also.  She  afterwards  recovered 
"  from  a  trial  of  another  kind  with  an  animating  faith  in 
"  her  Redeemer's  love,  and  an  assurance  of  the  joy  about 
"  to  be  revealed.  This  was  on  Sunday  morning  at  five 
"  o'clock.  In  half  an  hour  after,  she  intimated  that  her 
"  departure  was  at  hand.  It  was  now  that  she  experienced 
"  the  truth  of  the  promise  of  dying  strength  for  a  dying  hour. 
*•  For  though  unable  to  speak,  yet  she  discovered  her  in- 
"  ward  joy  by  such  animation  of  countenance  as  delight- 
<<  ed  her  surrounding  friends.  And  when  her  mother  and 
"  sister  spoke  to  her  of  her  approaching  happiness,  her  eyes 
«  seemed  to  glisten  with  new  fire.  *  What  a  joyful  Sabbath 
*•  you  will  have  to-day,'  said  her  sister.     Her  looks  seem- 

K 


74  MEMOIRS  OF 

fed  to  reply,  <  A  joyful  Sabbath  indeed,*  an  eternal  Sab- 
*^*batli !'  In  a  few  minutes  afterwards,  she  waved  her  hand 
**  in  token  of  hei*  abundant  entrance  into  the  joy  of  her 
"  Lord.  And  like  your  dear  E.  C.  she  met  death  with  a 
"  smile,  which  kept  possession  of  her  features,  until  she  was 
<*  consigned  to  the  gfave. 

**  I  would  not  have  dwelt  so  long  on  this  subject,  were  it 
**  not  that  my  esteem  for  tiie  deceased  was  great. 

*<  Perhaps  you  would  call  it  affectation,  if  I  did  not  tell 
^*  you  that  the  college  have  adjudged  to  me  the  lirst  prize  for 
♦*  the  best  Latin  declamation  on  *  the  stage.' 

"  I  believe  I  must  pass  this  summer  out  of  Cambridge. 
*^  I  think  of  going  to  London  about  the  beginning  of  July, 
«*  that  I  may  have  a  few  lessons  in  English  pronunciation, 
*«  in  compliance  with  Mr.  Thornton's  desire. 

*<  I  have  been  assaulted  of  late  from  various  quarters, 
"  both  from  without  and  from  within ;  but  I  bless  God,  that 
<*  while  I  pray  over  the  Bible,  I  am  enabled  to  triumph  over 
<<  my  enemies.  I  delight  in  the  Bible.  When  my  heart 
**  is  melted  within  me,  and  my  soul  sick  with  the  combat 
**  between  the  contempt  of  the  ungodly,  and  the  remains  of 
*'  my  own  pride,  then  the  Bible  affords  a  comfort  no  other 
*<  book  can  give." 

In  a  similar  strain  as  to  his  increasing  love  of  the  holy 
Scriptures,  and  in  peculiarly  strong  and  lively  terms  as  to 
the  general  state  of  his  mind  concerning  religion,  he  thus 
writes  to  the  same  correspondent  in  the  month  of  June 
following. 

*•  I  sec  you  still  have  a  godly  jealousy  over  me,  respecting 
•*the  bent  of  my  studies.  I  must  make  you  easy  on  that 
•»  liead.  I  can  now  inform  you,  that  the  attention  I  pay  to 
•*  the  classics  or  mathematics  is  comparatively  very  little  ; 
*<  so  little,  that  I  sometimes  fear  that  (in  my  present  place)  I 
*<  neglect  them  too  much.  And  I  can  further  inform  you, 
**  and  1  thank  God  for  enabling  me,  that  the  cause  of  my 
"  being  thus  lukewarm  in  these  studies,  is,  that  I  may  re- 
•*  deem  time  for  studying  the  Scripture^,  the  value  of  which 
*<  knowledge  I  see  more  and  more.    At  present  I  can  read 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  75 

« the  Bible  when  I  can  read  nothing  else.     Some  of  my 
«  other  studies  are  truly  a  cross  to  me." 

What  an  unquestionable  proof  of  a  spiritual  mind  in  afi 
academical  student,  is  such  a  declaration  as  this !  He  thun 
continues. 

"  I  dare  not  tell  you  what  I  am,  but  1  can  tell  you  what  1 
"  pray  for. 

"  I  pray  that  I  may  be  content  to  be  of  no  reputation 
<*  among  men,  knowing  that  if  I  am  truly  wise,  I  must  be- 
"  come  a  fool  among  the  ungodly  ;  that  I  may  patiently  sub- 
"  mit  to  indignity  and  reproach  for  Christ's  sake,  and  that 
«  my  whole  life  may  be  devoted  to  his  service  5  that  for  this 
*«  purpose  I  may  diligently  improve  the  talent  committed  to 
•<  me,  however  little  it  may  be ;  and  that  when  I  go  forth 
♦<  into  the  ministry,  I  may  not  seek  self,  but  Christ ;  content 
"  to  be  unnoticed,  dead  to  the  censure  or  applause  of  mcff^, 
♦«  alive  to  God  ami  his  concerns,  and  chiefly  solicitous  that  my 
♦*  preaching  (however  rude  I  may  be  in  speech)  may  be 
•<  powerful  in  awakening  souls. 

"  These  are  my  prayers  in  1793,  as  to  the  event  of  my 
♦<  studies.  I  trust  the  Lord,  that  he  will  keep  me  ;  that  he 
"  will  put  his  fear  in  my  heart,  that  I  may  not  depart  from 
♦•  him. 

"  You  talk  to  me  of  academical  reputation  and  dignity.  If 
«•  I  were  Regius  Professor  of  Divinity  to-morrow,  I  would 
*<  resign  the  dignity  to  any  man  for  a  little  brokenness  of 
"  heart.  The  summit  of  my  ambition  (if  I  know  my  own 
"  mind)  is,  to  be  daily  more  conformed  to  Christ,  to  be  en- 
*«  abled  to  follow  that  great  sufferer,  and  to  rejoice  to  be 
*<  counted  worthy  to  suffer  shame  for  his  sake, 

«  As  to  my  future  situation  in  the  ministry,  to  which  you 
••  allude  at  the  close  of  your  letter,  that  subject  is  very  little 
«  in  my  thoughts.  God  has  done  tiie  greater  ;  shall  he  not 
«  do  the  less  ?  If  he  means  me  to  preach  his  Gospel,  then 
«•  is  the  pulpit  prepared,  and  the  flock  which  I  must  tend. 
<»  At  present  I  feel  ready  to  go  wherever  he  pleases  to  send 
*«  me ;  whether  to  India,  America,  New  Holland,  or  if  there 
«  be  any  other  land  more  remote.     I  have  already  seen  life 


76  MEMOIRS  OF 

**  in  various  shapes;  and  if  I  have  been  enabled  to  bear  with 
*'  difficulties  when  without  God  in  the  world,  much  more, 
*^  when  engaged  in  his  service,  aided  by  his  Spirit,  and  sup- 
<«  ported  by  his  presence. 

"  If  the  Lord  will,  I  should  be  well  pleased  to  enter  his 
"  service  under  your  advice  and  example.  I  hope  that  the 
<*  first  year  I  stay  with  you,  I  shall  learn  humility  ;  the 
"  second,  humility  ;  the  third  humility. 

"  Mr.  S.  and  Mrs.  M.  beg  their  love  to  you ;  and  so  does 
"  he,  who  is  with  great  respect  and  affection,  your's." 

The  note  inscribed  by  Mr.  Newton  on  the  preceding  let- 
ter strongly  attests  the  pleasure  with  which  he  had  perused 
it ;  nor  can  it  be  generally  read  without  a  lively  impression 
of  the  glowing  and  devoted  piety  of  its  author.  Two  months 
afterwards  we  find  him  in  London,  replying  to  a  letter 
from  Mr.  Newton,  then  in  the  country,  in  which  his  aged 
friend,  under  the  painful  remembrance  of  the  transitory 
nature  of  earthly  enjoyments,  though  by  no  means  in  the 
spirit  of  disappointment  and  complaint,  had  declared,  that  of 
a  happiness  which  had  subsisted  forty  years,  nothing  then 
remained  but  the  recollection  ;  that  the  years  he  had  passed, 
blessed  as  they  had  been  by  the  sunshine  of  providence  and 
grace,  might  be  numbered  with  the  years  before  the  flood. 
To  this  somewhat  melancholy  but  admonitory  observation 
Mr.  Buchanan  replied,  that  the  estimate  of  human  life 
which  he  had  thus  given  was,  he  presumed,  just,  as  it  ac- 
corded with  the  language  of  Scripture. 

"  Is  it  possible,  then,"  he  says,  "  that  I  can  be  so  foolish, 
<«  as  to  fix  my  heart  on  any  thing  under  the  sun,  if  I  believe 
«  the  testimony  of  all  ages,  that  to  do  so  is  vanity  and  vexa- 
*«  tion  of  spirit  ?  I  do  believe  this  testimony,  and  I  would 
*<  gladly  refrain  from  every  created  idol,  come  it  in  what 
*<  shape  it  may  ;  but  unhappily  I  feel  myself  invested  with 
"  flesh  and  blood.  Now  I  understand  from  Scripture,  that 
« I  am  permitted,  nay  commanded,  to  nourish  this  body,  to 
«  clothe  and  adorn  it,  and  be  careful  of  its  well  being ;  only 
« I  must  study  to  keep  it  in  subjection.  But  this  is  a  charge 
**  more  difficult  than  the  government  of  a  kingdom.     I  am 


DR.  BUCHANAN. 


77 


^i  to  taste,  the  Bible  says,  of  the  sweets  of  earthly  happiness, 
^^  but  I  am  only  to  taste  of  them.     But  who  is  to  ascer- 
<*  tain  the  quantum  ?  Spiritual  self  and  carnal  self  are  al- 
"  ways  at  variance  about  it,  and  I  suppose  this  contest  is 
<^  the  Christian's  warfare.    A  good  soldier,  therefore,  w^ould 
"  naturally  endeavour  either  to  strengthen  himself,  or  weak 
"  en  his  adversary.     Am  I  then  to  strengthen  the  spiritual, 
''  or   to   weaken    the   carnal   principle  ?     I   may   do  both, 
«  you  will  say ;  but  which  of  the  two  demands  my  more  par- 
«  ticular  attention?  As  I  may  go  to  an  extreme  in  weaken- 
<«  ing  the  body,  but  cannot  go  too  far  in  strengthening  the 
"  soul,  it  would  seem  wise  to  lay  the  greater  stress  on  the 
"  latter.  Communion  with  God  in  private  prayer  is,  I  con- 
<*  ceive,  the  best  strengthener  of  the  soul ;    and   commu- 
"  nion  with  the  world  is  its  greatest  weakener.    The  result 
« then  appears  to  be  this.     To  dedicate  as  much  time  as 
«« possible  to  acts  of  communion  with  God.     But  Archbishop 
«  Leighton  says,  that  the  desire  of  this  sacred  communion 
*«  grows  with  its  exercise.  Every  encouragement,  therefore. 
^«  is  held  out  to  this  mode  of  attack  and  defence,  since  plea- 
«  sure  and  profit  conspire  to  recommend  it.     Prayer,  then, 
"  I  must  consider  as  the  Christian's  palladium,  and  as  a 
"  present  reward. 

"  Surely  an  hour  in  the  morning,  and  an  hour  in  the  even- 
"  ing,  is  not  too  much  for  communion  with  God.  But  as  to 
« the  season  of  prayer,  I  do  not  think  that  some  manage  this 
"  well.  They  pray  early  in  the  morning,  and  late  at  night. 
**  This  may  be  necessary  in  families  engaged  in  business  ; 
<*  but  I  speak  of  ministers.  Do  you  not  think  that  an  hour 
«  of  devotion  before  we  engage  in  company  in  the  afternoon, 
<«  would  have  a  tendency  to  correct  and  animate  our  even- 
"  ing's  conversation  ? 

*«  Pardon  this  dissertation  on  prayer.  I  really  had  no  de- 
«  sign  to  trouble  you  with  it  when  I  began  the  letter." 

To  reflections  such  as  the  preceding,  as  solid  and  judi- 
cious as  they  are  spiritual  and  instructive,  no  serious  reader 
will  object.  Nor  will  the  following  account  of  the  death  of 
one  of  Mr.  Buchanan's  sisters,  which  occurs  in  a  letter  to 


^8  MEMOIRS  OF 

Mr.  Newton  from  Cambridge,  at  the  close  of  bis  second  long 
vacation,  be  deemed  uninteresting. 

«  It  was  about  a  year  and  a  half  ae:o,"  lie  observes,  "  on 
«  her  return  from  boarding-school,  that  her  piety  first  ap- 
«  peared,  though  on  her  death-bed  she  confessed  that  her 
<(  heart  had  been  inclining  to  God  nearly  two  years  before 
«« that  time.  About  three  months  since  she  was  seized  by  a 
<«  consumption,  which  has  now  given  her  a  happy  release 
«  from  all  sin  and  all  sorrow." 

A  letter  still  remains,  written  by  Mr.  Buchanan  from 
Cambridge  to  his  dying  sister,  for  the  purpose  of  cheering 
and  supporting  her  under  her  early  departure  from  the  world, 
the  piety  and  fraternal  affection  of  which  will  sufficiently 
recommend  the  fellowing  extracts. 

«  I  rejoice  to  hear  that  you  are  about  to  enter  into  the  joy 
«  of  your  Lord,  to  behold  the  Saviour  whom  you  love,  face  to 
*f  face ;  to  be  clothed  by  him  in  a  spotless  robe,  and  present- 
«  ed  to  the  Father  as  an  heir  of  everlasting  glory. 

«  Let  me  encourage  you  to  pass  over  Jordan's  flood  with  a 
"  resolute  step,  undismayed;  let  me  remind  you  of  the  pro- 
«  mise  of  Him,  to  whom  the  death  of  his  saints  is  precious. 
fi  Let  me  enforce  the  immutable  love  of  your  God,  and  pro- 
«  claim  to  you  the  truth  of  your  Redeemer.  You  have  al- 
«  ready  known  him  as  the  wmj ;  on  your  death-bed  you 
<<will  find  him  the  truth;  and  he  will  quickly  welcome  you 
"  to  the  gate  of  Zion  as  the  eternal  life. 

«  My  dear  sister,  be  of  good  cheer ;  lay  hold  of  Jesus  as 
«  the  anchor  of  your  soul.  Was  it  ever  heard  that  any  one 
"  who  fled  to  him  for  refuge  was  deserted  in  a  trying  hour? 
<<  Was  it  ever  known  that  he  suffered  one  of  his  sheep  to  be 
<<  plucked  out  of  his  hand  ?  Has  he  not  said,  <  I  will  never 
« leave  thee,  nor  forsake  thee?'  <  Wiien  thou  passest  through 
"the  waters,  I  will  be  with  thee;'  <  Fear  not,  thou  art 
«  mine.'  These  are  exceeding  great  and  precious  promises, 
*•  on  which  you  may  safely  rest.  If  your  faith  be  weak,  yet 
«  waver  not.  The  promise  is  to  the  weak  as  well  as  to  tlie 
tt  strong ;  yea,  to  all  tliose  who  can  say,  <  Thou  knowest, 
<<  Lord,  that  I  love  thee,' 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  79 

*<  While  you  have  life,  magnify  the  praises  of  Him  who 
"  hath  called  you  with  such  a  holy  calling.  Evince  to  the 
"  world  that  the  Bible  is  not  a  cunningly  devised  fable. 
"  Seek  to  glorify  God  in  your  death,  and  assuredly  he  will 
«  give  you  faith  to  do  it.  Speak  from  your  dying  bed  of  the 
*«  things  of  the  kingdom  to  which  you  are  hastening  ;  impart 
**  your  views  of  the  vanities  of  life,  for  the  benefit  of  those 
**  who  survive  you.  Pray  that  a  double  portion  of  your  spi- 
"  rit  may  rest  upon  your  brother,  that  he  may  gladden  your 
"  eyes  at  the  last  day  with  a  view  of  many  souls  whom  he  has 
«  brought  with  him  to  glory.  Leave  him  such  exhortations, 
«  encouragements,  and  reproofs,  as  an  immediate  prospect 
<<  of  heaven  may  inspire  you  to  give. 

"  And  now  let  me  conduct  you  as  far  as  I  can,  even  to  the 
"  gates  of  Jerusalem.  Many  a  song  will  be  sung,  many  a 
«  harp  be  strung,  on  your  entrance  into  the  kingdom  of  hea- 
«<  ven.  Who  is  this  that  I  see  foremost  to  welcome  you  ?  Is 
"  it  not  your  grandfather,  or  your  father  ?  My  dear  sister 
^<  what  joy  is  this  !  They,  accompanied  by  a  heavenly  host, 
"  conduct  you  to  your  Saviour,  your  King,  and  your  God. 
»'*  Then  your  glory  begins ;  you  are  crowned  with  honour 
•«  and  immortality.  You  join  in  the  never-ending  song  of 
a  i  Worthy  the  Lamb,'  and  drink  of  the  pleasures  which  are 
^'  at  God's  right  hand  for  evermore." 

The  preceding  pious  and  animated  address  did  not  arrive 
until  the  relative  for  whose  consolation  it  was  intended  was 
beyond  the  reach  of  human  joy  or  sorrow. 

The  account,  however,  which  Mr.  Buchanan,  in  the  words 
of  another  sister,  gives  to  Mr.  Newton  of  the  last  trying 
scene  is  peaceful  and  encouraging. 

"  She  now,"  lie  says,  "  in  faith  looked  forward  to  her  rest, 
"  and  spent  much  of  her  time  in  reading  the  Scriptures,  and 
" in  prayer. 

«'  On  the  evening  of  the  day  she  died,  she  said  to  her  mo- 
"  ther,  <  I  think  that  my  hour  is  now  come.'    Her  mother 
"  was  surprised  at  this,  as  there  appeared  no  visible  change ' 
♦<  in  her  countenance.    She  immediately  began  to  pray,  and 
"  prayed  long.     Her  mother  overheard  some  of  her  words 


80  MEMOIRS  OF 

<<  She  prayed,  ♦  that  she  might  be  found  in  Christ ;  that  she 
*<  might  have  a  title  to  that  covenant  which  is  well  ordered 
•*  and  sure.  About  tlie  conclusion  of  her  prayer,  death  ap- 
**  peared  to  be  fast  approaching.  She  begged  that  the  fami- 
•*  ly  might  come  round  her  bed ;  and  then  she  began  to  ex- 
"  hort  them,  and  to  speak  to  them  of  the  kingdom  of  God. 
"  Her  mother  observing  that  her  last  moment  was  now  at 
**  hand,  asked  her  if  she  had  any  thing  to  say  to  her  brother 
"  at  Cambridge.  '  Yes,'  said  she ;  '  tell  him,  be  sure  you 
"  tell  him,'  (repeating  it  emphatically,)  '  that  I  die  trusting 
"  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.'  She  then  lifted  up  both  her 
*^  hands,  and  looking  up  to  heaven,  committed  herself  to  the 
"  Lord,  her  eyes  streaming  with  joy ;  which  having  done, 
^^  she  sunk  on  the  pillow  and  expired." 

"  The  manner  of  her  death,"  continues  Mr.  Buchanan, 
"  has  given  my  mother  a  comfort  inexpressible. 

« I  know  nothing  which  has  had  a  greater  tendency  to 
**  animate  me  in  my  Christian  course,  than  this  triumph  of 
"  my  sister.  O  were  the  work  done  which  my  Father  hath 
"  given  me  to  do,  how  gladly  should  I  accompany  her  ! 

"  I  hope  you  are  at  present  a  large  partaker  of  the  conso- 
"  lations  of  the  Spirit.  Though  I  am  young,  I  know  thus 
"  much,  that  without  those  consolations,  there  is  no  happi- 
"  ness.  What  a  blessing,  that  the  pleasures  of  holiness  be- 
"  gin  on  this  side  the  grave  !" 

On  the  5th  of  November  Mr.  Buchanan  again  delivered  a 
public  Latin  speech  on  the  Revolution  in  1688 ;  and  on  the 
15th  a  declamation  in  favour  of  modern  learning.  His  re- 
laxation in  mathematical  studies  exposed  him,  he  informs 
Mr.  Newton,  to  frequent  remonstrances  from  different 
friends ;  and  amongst  others,  from  the  late  excellent  Mr. 
Robinson  of  Leicester,  who  was  anxious  that  he  should  view 
academical  honours  with  less  indifference.  "  They  are  lit- 
"  tie  aware,"  he  adds,  **  that  I  need  no  spur  on  this  head, 
"  were  I  conscious  that  my  abilities  warranted  me  success. 
«  In  arguments  of  this  kind  I  usually  urge  the  plea  of  duty ; 
*<  though  I  must  confess,  that  the  other  weighs  more  strong- 
^*  ly  with  myself,  which  it  ought  not  to  do." 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  81 

Mr.  Buchanan,  as  it  will  presently  appear,  probably,  and 
perhaps  happily,  underrated  his  talents  in  this  particular. 
However  this  may  be,  he  was  unmoved  by  the  representa- 
tions of  his  friends,  and  persevered  in  the  course  of  study 
which,  as  we  have  seen,  he  had  deliberately  adopted. 

Early  in  the  year  1794,  a  letter  occurs  to  his  venerable 
friend  Mr.  Newton,  which  affords  a  specimen  of  that  union 
of  playful  remark  with  Christian  seriousness,  by  which  his 
correspondence  was  occasionally  enlivened. 

"  Mr.  F.  writes  to  me,  that  your  recommendations  have 
^<  been  of  great  service  to  him  at  Edinburgh.  I  am  happy 
^^  to  find  that  his  zeal  increases.  More  of  my  friends  err 
«  through  too  much  prudence  than  too  much  zeal.  I  think  I 
^*  have  observed  that  a  man  who  is  well  acquainted  with  the 
^«  world,  cannot  have  too  much  zeal.  If  he  is  ignorant  of 
<^  men  and  manners,  his  zeal  will  injure  his  cause  ;  and  it  is 
«  not  till  after  repeated  lessons  that  he  is  put  right. 

<«  Your  aged  domestics  will  wonder  why  I  stay  so  long  at 
*'  Cambridge,  when  I  have  so  much  work  to  do  in  the  mini- 
"  stry.  I  wish  they  could  impart  to  me  somewhat  of  their 
^^  experience,  self-knowledge,  and  humility ;  and  in  ex- 
^^  change  I  promise  to  give  them  on  my  return  from  college, 
"  all  my  mathematics,  pure  and  mixed,  geometry,  algebra, 
<(  fluxions  containing  the  nature  of  pneumatics,  hydraulics, 
<«  hydrostatics,  the  doctrine  of  ineommensurables,  indivisi- 
«  bles,  and  infinities,  parabolic  and  hyperbolic  logarithms, 
"  summation  of  series,  solution  of  quadratics  containing  im- 
*«  possible  roots,  together  with  the  properties  of  parallelepi- 
'^  peds  and  dodecahedrons,  not  forgetting  Sir  Isaac  Newton, 
"  his  celebrated  corollaries  to  the  paradoxical  lemma  re- 
^^  specting  ciirvilinear  straight  lines !  together  with  other 
(<  particulars,  too  many  to  be  here  enumerated. 

*<  What  a  mercy,  you  will  say,  that  Phoebea  has  not  to 
« learn  all  this  in  order  to  get  to  heaven ! 

"  I  thank  you  for  your  dissertation  on  Cambridge  learn- 
"  ing.  I  hope  I  have  passed  the  ordeal  now,  and  that  I  shall 
««  be  led  to  the  study  of  those  things  by  which  I  may  be  best 

a  Alluding  to  an  old  and  highly  valued  domestic  of  Mr.  Newton, 
1 


S2  MEMOIRS  o¥ 

♦•'  able  to  promote  the  glory  of  God.  I  sigh  for  the  sublime 
"  grace  of  self-denial.  It  is  the  preservative  of  the  youthful 
*^  Christian  from  snares  innumerable." 

Not  long  after  the  date  of  the  preceding  letter,  Mr.  New- 
ton made  the  first  direct  proposal  to  Mr.  Buchanan  of  a  voy- 
age  to  India.     His  reply  was  as  follows. 

<*  I  request  you  to  accept  my  thanks  for  the  affectionate 
"letter  which  I  have  just  now  read.  I  have  only  time  to 
**  say,  that  with  respect  to  my  going  to  India,  I  must  de- 
"  cline  giving  any  opinion.  It  would  argue  a  mind  ill- 
*<  instructed  in  the  school  of  Christ,  to  pretend  to  decide  on 
«  an  event  so  important  and  unexpected ;  an  event,  which 
♦<  will  doubtless  give  a  complexion  to  the  happiness  and  use- 
"  fulness  of  every  hour  of  my  future  life. 

"  It  is  with  great  pleasure  I  submit  this  matter  to  the  de- 
"  termination  of  yourself,  Mr.  Thornton,  and  Mr.  Grant. 
<<  All  I  wish  to  ascertain  is  the  will  of  God.  I  hope  that  the 
<<  result  of  your  deliberations  will  prove  to  be  his  will. 
"  Were  I  required  to  say  something,  I  should  observe  that 
**I  feel  myself  very  ill  qualified  for  the  arduous  situation  in 
<«  question.  My  intimate  friends  know  that  my  plan  of  col- 
« lege  study  was,  to  attend  more  immediately  to  academical 
"  learning  the  two  first  years,  and  to  preparation  for  the  mi- 
«  nistry  in  the  third  and  last,  upon  which  I  am  but  now  en- 
<«  tering.  I  think  that  our  regard  for  the  glory  of  God  re- 
«  quires  us  to  endeavour  to  find  a  person  of  acknowledged 
«  ability  in  things  both  human  and  divine,  who  has  already 
*«  approved  himself  such  an  one  as  might  successfully  resist 
*«  gainsayers,  and  prosecute  his  mission  with  energy,  A 
*«  beginner,  particularly  if  he  be  of  slender  capacity  and  at- 
•<  tainments,  will  naturally  shrink  from  such  a  situation, 
•<  fearing  lest  he  should  tarnish  the  honour  of  his  embassy 
^<  by  an  unskilful  or  ungraceful  negociation. 

"  On  the  contrary,  if  the  Lord  does  with  me  as  with  Je- 
*'  remiah>  and  bids  a  child  go  and  teach  a  great  nation,  it 
"  would  be  vain  to  plead  my  incapacity,  since,  if  he  sends 
«  me,  he  will  certainly  <  touch  my  mouth.'  Only  I  would 
«  observe,  that  in  the  present  state  of  Christianity,  it  would 


DR. 'BUCHANAN.  ^3 

**  appear  that  as  strict  attention  ought  to  be  paid  to  huTnan 
»^  means  in  our  endeavours  to  promote  the  success  of  tlie 
^«  Gospel,  as  if  it  were  merely  a  human  dispensation. 

<<  I  trust  that  every  word  of  the  above  is  dictated  by  a  re- 
^'  gard  to  God's  honour,  and  not  my  own. 

"  That  his  honour  may  be  greatly  promoted  by  the  result 
•«  of  your  deliberations  is  the  prayer  of  C.  B." 

The  judgment  as  well  as  the  piety  of  Mr.  Buchanan's  re- 
ply to  this  proposal  deserves  to  be  noticed,  and  affords  a  sa- 
tisfactory indication  of  his  qualifications  for  the  important 
station  to  which  it  refers.  The  following  sentiments  ex- 
pressed in  a  subsequent  letter  are  equally  pleasing. 

"  With  respect  to  my  going  to  India,  I  am  still  in  a  strait 
<*  between  two.  Some  considerations  incline  me  to  stay; 
<^  others  persuade  me  to  go,  as  being  far  better.  Being  una- 
"  ble  to  judge  for  myself,  I  submit  it  to  the  divine  direction 
"  with  perfect  resignation.  So  gracious  is  He  who  •  careth 
'<  for  me'  in  this  respect,  that  your  determination,  whether 
^'  for  or  against  my  going,  will  be  alike  agreeable  to  me. 
^*  I  am  equally  ready  to  preach  the  Gospel  in  the  next  vil- 
"  lage,  or  at  the  ends  of  the  earth." 

Such  was  the  elevated  spirit  of  piety  which  actuated  Mr. 
Buchanan  early  in  this  year.  As  it  advanced,  he  wrote 
thus  to  Mr.  Newton. 

"  We  have  had  Mrs.  U.  and  Mr.  C's  family  at  Cam- 
"  bridge  for  a  few  days.  It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  sec 
«  piety  gladden  with  its  presence  our  learned  walls.  Pride 
•*  and  superstition  have  doubtless  built  most  of  our  colleges  ,* 
»<  but  I  am  inclined  to  think,  that  genuine  piety  founded 
<<  some  of  them.  A  solitary  walk  in  such  places  has  a  ten- 
*^  dency  to  excite  elevated  thoughts  of  God,  and  of  his  good- 
^<  ness  to  man,  through  successive  ages. 

<«  My  purpose  in  troubling  you  with  this  letter  was  to  say, 
"  that  I  bear  that  affection  for  you  a  child  beareth  to  his  fa- 
"  ther,  a  desire  to  conceal  his  faults,  (if  he  has  any,)  and  to 
"  magnify  his  virtues ;  that  I  hope  to  be  preserved  from  the 
^«  snares  and  cares  of  this  world,  and  thereby  enabled  to 
*<  adorn  that  Gospel  which  you  first  wished  me  to  profess." 


34  MEMOIRS  OF 

In  Mr.  Buchanan's  next  letter  to  Mr.  Newton,  dated  ear- 
ly in  June,  it  will  be  observed  that  the  ardour  which  he  had 
formerly  evinced  to  enter  into  the  ministry,  without  much 
academical  preparation,  had  yielded  to  those  more  correct 
and  enlarged  views  concerning  religion  which  he  had  been 
gradually  acquiring;  and  which  had  at  once  rendered  him 
more  diffident,  and  better  qualified  for  the  office  to  which  he 
aspired. 

"  I  sit  down,"  he  says,  <«  to  acquaint  you,  that  I  have  just 
«  finished  another  term,  and  with  it  I  complete  another  year 
««  at  the  University.  I  hope  that  God  will  graciously  over- 
<•  rule  the  evil  he  has  seen  in  me ;  and  that  he  will  cause  my 
*^  past  experience  and  my  past  studies,  to  bear  fruit  to  his 
"  glory  and  my  own  good. 

"  I  once  thought  myself  prepared  for  the  church  !  I  shud- 

"  der  at  my  temerity.     A  zeal  (if  zeal  it  may  be  called) 

<<  <  without  knowledge'  must  have  dictated  this  unhallowed 

«^  confidence.    In  one  sense,  indeed,  any  one  to  whom  God 

«  has  given  his  grace  may  enter  the  church,  however  igno- 

*«  rant  or  unfit  in  other  matters ;  inasmuch  as  all  success  in 

"  it  comes  from  God.    But  in  another  sense,  no  man  ought 

*<  to  enter  upon  the  ministry,  who  is  not  qualified  by  nature 

"  and  education  to  do  justice  to  a  public  station,  and  claim 

"  respect  from  a  gainsaying  world.    This  is  absolutely  ne- 

«  cessary,  unless  miracles  have  not  ceased.    And  for  want 

«  of  attending  to  these  circumstances,  viz.  the  present  state 

"  of  Christianity,  and  the  progress  of  civilization,  I  see  that 

«  the  Gospel  suffers  in  every  quarter.    At  the  time  of  the 

«  Reformation,  there  was  not  so  much  ground  for  this  com- 

«  plaint  as  now.    I  differ  in  opinion  from  many  good  men  on 

"  these  points.     However,  I  seldom  mention  them,  as  I  have 

« learnt  from  past  fluctuations  of  sentiment,  that  I  may  pos- 

«  sibly  think  differently  after  further  observation  and  more 

«  accurate  Scripture  study.    I  think  that  too  little  attention 

'<  is  paid  to  the  manner  of  preaching  the  Gospel ;  and  too 

« little  to  the  prejudices  of  the  age  against  the  illiterate 

*(  methodist.    I  feel  a  good  deal  hurt  at  these  neglects,  at 

<<  the  same  time  that  I  despair  of  doing  otherwise  myself* 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  8^ 

"  In  these,  and  in  all  other  doubts,  I  must  wait  patiently  on 
"  his  teaching,  who  hath  so  often  made  *  darkness  light  be- 
<^  fore  me.'  " 

After  informing  his  correspondent  that  he  had  a  few  days 
since  spoken  his  last  Latin  declamation,  Mr.  Buchanan  thus 
beautifully  concludes  this  letter. 

"  That  you  are  blessed  with  health,  and  stayed  by  the 
"  comforts  of  the  Gospel  in  your  declining  years,  is  to  me  a 
"  frequent  theme  of  praise.  In  philosophy  and  human  sci- 
<«  ence,  the  mind  loses  its  vigour  by  old  age  ;  but  in  religion^ 
"  in  divine  science,  we  are  taught  to  believe  that  youth  will 
*«  be  restored,  and  new  attainments  acquired.  Fortunatus 
"  ille  seneXf  qui  codicola  viviW 

It  is  probable  that  Mr.  Buchanan  passed  the  greater  part 
of  the  long  vacation  of  this  year  also  at  Cambridge.  No  let- 
ter, indeed,  occurs  in  his  correspondence  with  Mr.  Newton 
from  the  commencement  to  the  close  of  that  period ;  but  the 
following  interesting  communication  from  one  of  his  most 
valued  friends  and  relatives  seems  to  confirm  this  conjec- 
ture. 

<<  I  first  became  acquainted  with  him,"  observes  this  gen» 
tleman,  "  at  Cambridge,  in  the  summer  of  the  year  1794. 
<«  We  were  almost  the  only  two  residents  in  our  respective 
«  colleges  of  Queen's  and  St.  John's ;  he  being  engaged  in 
"  studying  for  orders,  and  I  in  preparing  for  my  bachelor's 
«  degree.  I  had  often  heard  of  him  from  a  common  friend, 
«  as  being  a  very  distinguished  member  of  a  debating  socie- 
«  ty,  called  the  Speculative,  or  quaintly  the  Spec,  consisting 
"  of  a  number  of  undergraduates  from  different  colleges,  es- 
'« pecially  Trinity  and  Queen's,  who  used  to  meet  at  each 
"  other's  rooms  to  discuss  various  moral,  political,  and  some- 
« times  religious  questions.  He  was  represented  to  me  as 
"  eminent  among  the  speakers  for  acuteness  and  fluency*, 
«  and  for  piety  of  sentiment;  but  as  a  retired  character,  who 

a  This  observation  is  a  proof  either  of  the  modest  estimate  which  Mr.  Buchan- 
an formed  of  his  own  powers  of  speaking,  in  writing  to  Mr.  Newton  upon  this  sab« 
ject,  or  of  the  proficiency  which  he  had  made  since  that  period,  partly,  perhaps,  in 
consequence  of  the  exercise  afforded  him  by  this  society. 


86  MEMOIRS  OF 

<<  scarcely  ever  mixed  with  any  other  persons  at  such  social 
«  meetings  as  were  usual  in  the  college. 

"  We  met  accidentally  in  our  solitary  walks,  and  entered 
^<  into  conversation  ;  which  brought  on  an  interchange  of  vi- 
"  sits.  We  often  walked  together  during  the  short  time 
"  after  our  first  meeting*  that  he  continued  at  Cambridge.  I 
*<  well  remember  to  this  moment  a  particular  conversation 
"  which  took  place  in  one  of  our  walks  on  a  fine  summer's 
**  evening,  and  can  trace  in  my  recollection  some  of  the  fields 
•<  through  which  we  rambled,  little  thinking  that  we  should 
"  ever  be  so  closely  united  in  the  bonds  of  domestic  affection, 
*^  or  that  if  I  survived  him,  I  should  have  to  drop  the  tear  of 
*<  hallowed  regret  over  the  grave  of  a  brother. 

«*  He  greatly  surprised  me  on  that  occasion  by  strongly 
*<  condemning  the  vanity  of  the  pursuits  of  ambition,  in  whicli 
"  I  was  then  hotly  engaged,  coveting  too  earnestly  Univer- 
«  sity  honours.  I  defended  my  side,  in  which  self  was  so 
«  deeply  concerned,  with  much  warmth  and  positiveness ; 
<«  but  when  I  was  left  alone,  I  could  not  altogether  shake  off 
<<  the  impression  which  his  serious,  solemn,  and  scriptural 
"  mode  of  argumentation  had  left  upon  my  mind." 

The  same  learned  and  excellent  person  adds,  with  re- 
ference to  this  period  of  Mr.  Buchanan's  life  ;  "  I  remember, 
"  in  a  letter  to  a  common  friend,  some  remarks  on  the  ne- 
"  cessity  and  efficacy  of  faith  in  the  blood  of  Christ ;  and  of 
<«  his  hopes  that  he  had  experienced  something  of  it,  which 
<«  were  in  a  great  measure  new  to  us  both,  and  affected 
"  me  considerably." 

It  is  pleasing  to  reflect,  that  the  writer  of  the  preceding 
passages,  after  having  succeeded  in  the  attainment  of  the 
highest  of  those  academical  honours^  of  which  he  was  then 
so  ardently  in  pursuit,  should  at  no  distant  period  liave  been 
led  to  adopt  the  religious  views  which  he  once  combated  ; 
and  after  the  lapse  of  many  years,  have  been  permitted 
again  to  hold  <*  sweet  converse"  with  him  to  wliom  he  first 
became  known  under  such  interesting  circumstances,  and  to 


*  He  was  the  Senior  Wi-angler  of  his  year. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  87 

contribute  to  do  honour  to  his  memory,   as  a  friend  and 
brother. 

We  are  now  approaching  the  termination  of  Mr.  Buchan- 
an's academical  course.  On  the  30th  of  November  in  this 
year,  he  wrote  to  Mr.  Newton  as  follows. 

<•'!  have  just  finished  my  mathematical  career.  Previous 
"  to  taking  our  degrees,  an  examination  is  held  in  our  res- 
'<  pective  colleges  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  our  success 
<*  in  science,  and  a  prize  of  five  guineas  awarded  to  the  best 
"  proficient.     This  prize  has  been  adjudged  to  me. 

^^  I  take  no  public  honour  in  mathematics.  As  my  admis- 
"  sion  to  college  was  irregular,  I  must  go  out  at  a  bye-term  ; 
<<  that  is,  at  Midsummer  next.  Were  I  to  stay  till  the  reg- 
"  ular  time  of  conferring  honours  and  degrees,  it  must  be 
"  till  Christmas  twelvemonth.  My  tutors  are  very  urgent 
"  with  me  to  remain  till  that  time,  in  order  that  I  may  ac- 
<^  quire  some  mathematical  reputation  to  myself,  and  some 
«  honour  to  the  college ;  but  I  have  declined  it,  as  being  an 
"  unjustifiable  sacrifice  of  my  time  and  duty.  My  friends 
"  are  a  good  deal  surprised  at  this;  and  are  astonished  when 
«  I  tell  them,  that  though  I  studied  science  with  attention,  I 
if  never  had  a  public  honour  in  view.  The  college  examina- 
"  tion  I  had  determined  should  be  my  ne  'plus  ultra." 

The  preceding  information  appears  to  have  surprised  Mr. 
Newton  himself;  who  in  common  with  his  other  friends 
seems,  notwithstanding  his  discouragement  of  Mr.  Buchan- 
an's mathematical  studies,  to  have  expected  that  he  would 
obtain  some  University  distinction.  Some  were  even  dispo- 
sed to  think  that  he  might  have  aimed  at  the  highest.  This 
was  evidently  unreasonable  ;  and  Mr.  Buchanan  accordingly 
thus  replies  to  such  a  suggestion. 

"  You  seem  to  think  that  my  abdication  of  mathematics  is 
« in  consequence  of  a  late  resolution ;  but  it  is  not.  It  is 
«  agreeable  to  my  original  plan.  Those  who  think  that  I 
"  might  have  been  Senior  Wrangler,  are  not  well  informed. 
«  There  are  few  instances,  I  believe,  of  any  persons  arriving 
"  at  this  eminence,  who  had  not  studied  mathematics  before 
«*they  went  to  Cambridge." 


38  MEMOIRS  OF 

Considering  the  circumstances  which  have  been  before 
related,  it  will  perhaps  be  deemed  sufficiently  creditable  to 
Mr.  Buchanan,  that  the  college  prize  for  mathematical  pro- 
ficiency should  have  been  adjudged  to  him.  Some  manu- 
scripts made  by  him  at  Cambridge,  on  the  four  branches  of 
natural  philosophy,  and  on  some  parts  of  Newton's  Princi- 
pia,  still  remain.  They  indicate,  in  the  opinion  of  the 
learned  friend  to  whom  an  allusion  has  been  lately  made,  a 
competent  knowledge  of  his  subjects,  though  they  are  not 
the  work  of  one  who  would  be  called  a  high  man,  at  Cam- 
bridge. He  adds,  however,  that  had  Mr.  Buchanan  been  a 
candidate  for  a  public  honour,  he  would  doubtless  have  dis- 
tinguished himself. 

How  entirely  he  was  satisfied  as  to  his  determination 
upon  this  point,  may  be  inferred  from  the  total  absence  of 
any  sentiment  of  regret  respecting  it  in  his  correspondence 
at  this  period.  He  was  evidently  intent  upon  an  object  wiiich 
he  deemed  of  far  higher  importance,  as  the  following  con- 
clusion of  the  letter  in  which  he  announced  the  close  of  his 
mathematical  career,  sufficiently  testifies. 

<<  It  is  said  that  those  who  travel  heavenwards  acquire 
<•'  new  strength  from  the  toil  of  the  way ;  Itei-  instaurabit 
'(  vires.  I  wish  I  found  it  so.  I  clamber  up  hill  with  difficul- 
« ty.  It  may  be,  I  have  not  laid  aside  every  rveight ;  or, 
<«  perhaps,  I  have  not  used  the  proper  *  lamp  to  my  path.' 
«*  If  so,  it  is  a  great  happiness  that  the  weariness  of  the  way 
<^  reproves  me. 

«  To I  wish  to  be  remembered,  as  to  fellow-pil- 

"  grims ;  who,  in  their  journey  to  the  holy  land,  have  learned 
"  to  sympathise  with  those  whose  knees  are  feeble,  and  who 
"  travel  slowly.  Perhaps  to  some  of  them,  or  to  you,  '  the 
"  delectable  mountains'  are  already  in  view ;  if  so,  « the 
*<  shining  ones'  are  at  hand,  to  conduct  you  to  the  holy  city  ; 
«*  where,  I  hope,  ere  long  you  will  meet 

"  Your  very  affectionate  son, 

«  C.  B." 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  89 

Mr.  Buchanan  was  so  entirely  occupied  with  the  pursuits 
of  learning  and  religion,  that  the  politics  of  tlie  day,  though 
of  a  peculiarly  alarming  and  interesting  nature,  seldom 
found  a  place  in  his  correspondence.  On  one  or  two  occa- 
sions, however,  he  shews  that  Ijc  was  by  no  means  indifferent 
upon  the  subject,  and  expresses  that  mixture  of  truth  and 
error  which  might  be  expected  from  a  pious  and  acute,  but 
young  and  ardent  mind,  speculating  upon  points,  which  baf- 
fled the  penetration  of  the  most  able  and  experienced  obser- 
vers. Amidst  a  variety  of  other  remarks,  the  following, 
however,  from  its  singular  correspondence  with  subsequent 
events,  seems  deserving  of  insertion. 

<«  Perhaps,"  says  Mr.  Buclianan,  "  the  opinion  of  Sir 
«  Isaac  Newton  is  correct,  that  antichristian  superstition  is 
"  only  to  be  eradicated  by  the  strong  hand  of  infidelity.  It 
"  may  be  agreeable  to  Providence,  to  permit  infidel  armies 
"  to  ravage  the  world,  to  destroy  superstition,  and  then  to 
"  strew  with  Bibles  the  vacant  lands." 

The  history  of  the  last  twenty  years  has  tended  in  a  most 
striking  manner  to  verify  this  conjecture.  We  have  seen 
antichristian  superstition  checked  and  depressed,  though 
not  eradicated,  by  the  strong  arm  of  infidelity ;  w  hile  we  be- 
hold many  of  the  desolated  lands  upon  the  Continent  literally 
<  strewed  with  Bibles,^  by  the  pious  charity  of  our  own  highly- 
favoured  country ;  which,  after  raising  an  effectual  barrier 
against  the  tyranny  by  which  every  other  European  nation 
was  oppressed,  has  survived  to  be  the  instrument  of  con- 
tinued, and,  it  may  be  hoped,  of  still  greater  blessings  to  the 
world. 

Upon  the  general  subject  of  politics,  as  well  as  upon  that 
of  patriotism,  of  which,  as  he  thought,  Mr.  Buchanan  had 
taken  an  erroneous  view,  Mr.  Newton  remonstrated  with  his 
less  experienced  correspondent.  To  the  latter  of  these 
points  he  recurs  in  the  following  terms  in  his  next  letter. 

"  I  scarcely  recollect  what  I  said  in  my  last  on  the  sub- 
<f  ject  of  the  amor  patrice  ;  but  I  am  ready  to  unsay  it,  if  I 
<«  cannot  otherwise  subscribe  to  the  general  tenor  of  your 
<«  answer.     It  is  natural  to  expect  some  little  difference  in 

M 


go  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  deciding  on  a  speculative  point,  particularly  if  tlie  parties 
"judge  for  themselves,  and  if  tliey  be  of  different  ages. 
"  The  old  man  may  have  a  stock  of  premises  far  superior  to 
<*  the  young  man's  ;  and  therefore  their  conclusions  will 
<*  differ,  tliough  each  may  argue  correctly  from  his  own 
"  data. 

<*  There  are  some  subjects  of  secondary  importance,  on 
*<  which  I  do  not  expect  to  have  a  determined  opinion,  till 
**  forced  perhaps  by  the  impatience  of  hoary  hairs ;  for 
*<  though  I  hope,  yet  I  do  not  expect,  to  shew  so  little  of  dog- 
"  matic  and  narrative  old  age  as  you  do ;  and  for  this  reason, 
<*  that  nature  has  made  some  difference  in  the  constitution  of 
"  our  minds,  (which  is  as  lasting  as  the  diflferent  conforma- 
*<  tion  of  our  bodies,)  namely,  to  you  she  has  given  a  placid, 
«<  to  me  a  sanguine,  temper." 

In  the  passage  which  follows,  some  acute  observations  oc- 
cur on  the  nature  of  superstition  and  prejudice,  which  are 
not  unworthy  being  preserved. 

<«  I  have  learned  one  lesson,  I  think,  since  I  came  to  the 
<*  University,  viz.  my  own  ignorance.  On  some  disputable 
«« points,  such  as,  the  best  metliod  of  preaching,  the  use  of 
« the  world  as  not  abusing  it,  the  connection  of  things  civil 
"  and  religious,  forms  of  government,  and  the  distinctions 
<i  between  the  Jewish  and  Christian  dispensations — On  such 
«« points,  I  say,  my  opinions  seem  to  derive  a  new  complex- 
"  ion  from  every  new  year.  In  one  view  this  is  proper ; 
*«  for  not  to  cliange  in  sentiment  on  such  things,  would  argue 
"  a  man  to  be  stationary  or  retrograde  in  improvement,  or  at 
"  best  to  be  the  superstitious  disciple  of  some  pope  or  infal- 
<<  lible  pedagogue.  In  some  measure  I  envy  such  persons : 
<«  certainty  is  doubtless  a  happiness  ;  and  therefore  the  su* 
*<  perstitious  are  generally  so  far  happy.  Many  good  Chris- 
<«  tians  are  superstitious.  Indeed,  he  must  be  a  man  of  sin- 
♦<  gular  learning  and  piety,  who  is  not  superstitious  in  some 
<<  degree.  For  instance,  most  men  have  a  superstitious  re- 
"  gard  for  their  peculiar  form  of  worship.  An  Englishman 
«  regards  his  Liturgy  as  superstitiously  as  a  Roman  Catho- 
"  lie  his  mass-book.     Those  who  have  less  ceremony  than 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  91 

**  the  English  church,  have  a  superstitious  reverence  for 
«  what  they  have  left :  and  I  can  easily  conceive  a  man  to 
«  have  a  superstitious  regard  for  the  want  of  ceremony. 

"  Nothing  but  a  cultivated  mind,  and  the  constant  peru- 
*«  sal  of  the  New  Testament,  seem  capable  of  delivering  men 
«  from  unnecessary  prejudices  and  prepossessions.  Grace 
«  does  not  necessarily  do  it.  Some  wonder  at  this  ;  but  why 
"should  they?  Grace  converts  the  heart,  but  it  does  not 
"teach  the  understanding  what  the  understanding  may 
"  learn  without  it ;  and  therefore  it  does  not  remove  preju- 
"  dice.  For  prejudice  is  founded  on  ignorance ;  on  an  igno- 
"  ranee  of  facts.  Till  these  facts  then  are  communicated, 
"  prejudice  remains ;  knowledge,  therefore,  i.  e.  learning, 
«  philosophy,  or  by  what  name  soever  it  may  be  called,  is 
"necessary  to  remove  prejudice." 

It  is  obvious  that  the  foregoing  remarks,  though  substan- 
tially  correct,  require  considerable  judgment  to  apply  them 
with  safety  to  any  important  subject.  Their  influence  on 
some  opinions  expressed  by  Mr.  Buchanan  in  the  subse- 
quent part  of  this  letter,  on  the  politics  of  the  day,  forms  no 
uninstructive  comment  upon  the  difficulty  which  attends 
such  discussions.  These  opinions  it  is  unnecessary  now  to 
produce.  It  is  but  just,  however,  to  add  the  following 
modest  and  sensible  acknowledgment  of  the  hesitation  with 
which  he  had  adopted  them. 

"  Since  you  wished  me  to  write  what  I  thought  on  these 
•<  subjects,  I  have  done  so.  I  shall  thank  you  now  to  burn 
"  these  sheets,  as  they  contain  the  eff'usion  of  an  unripe 
"judgment.  Whether  I  shall  ever  attain  to  a  correct  esti- 
"  mate  of  the  points  I  have  handled,  I  know  not;  but  if  ever 
"  I  do,  it  can  only  be  by  the  concurrence  of  these  three 
"  causes ;  the  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  to  preserve  my 
"  aff'ections  pure  before  God  ;  the  knowledge  of  new  facts ; 
"  and  the  power  of  reasoning  accurately.  No  two  of  them 
"  seem  sufficient  for  judging  in  matters  irrelevant  to  our 
<'  salvation. 

"  I  have  not  seen  the  mission  of  the  Moravian  Brethren. 
*»  I  am  inclined  to  think  these  excel  others,  because  evange- 


9IJ  MEMOIRS  OF 

•*  lizin.i^  barbarians  is  their  ^rade.  Their  children  are  inspi- 
"  red  with  dignified  ideas  of  it  at  an  early  age,  which  co- 
"  operating  with  ordinary  grace,  produces  these  mirabilia.^' 

There  is  no  doubt  much  truth  in  this  last  remark.  It  must, 
however,  at  the  same  time,  be  acknowledged,  that  tlie  very 
circumstance  of  inculcating  an  early  reverence  for  the  office 
of  a  missionary,  is  in  itself  a  proof  of  the  prevalence  of  that 
spirit  of  simple  and  devoted  piety,  which  is  the  earnest  and 
pledge  of  the  success  with  which  the  eftbrts  of  the  United 
Brethren  in  promoting  Christianity  among  the  Heathen 
have  been  crowned. 

In  the  month  of  May  following  the  date  of  the  preceding 
letter,  Mr.  Buchanan  informed  Mr.  Newton,  who  was  now 
anxiously  looking  forward  to  his  ordination,  that  he  was  to 
take  his  degree  at  the  ensuing  commencement,  that  is,  on 
the  8th  of  July  ;  that  his  ordination  studies  would  engage  his 
attention  for  the  next  two  months ;  and  that  early  in  Sep- 
tember he  purposed  to  be  in  London.  His  venerable  friend 
having  complained  of  his  increasing  deafness,  Mr.  Buchan- 
an, with  his  usual  affectionate  piety,  endeavours  to  console 
him  under  this  infirmity. 

"  Your  deafness,"  he  observes,  **  is  no  doubt  an  evil ;  but 
*«  you  have  been  afflicted  with  it  for  good.  Your  reflections 
"  upon  it  shew  this.  Some  are  alarmed  at  the  decays  of  age 
<«  in  their  Christian  friends.  Why  should  they  ?  When  I  see 
^«  the  aged  Christian  losing  one  faculty  and  then  another,  I 
<*  only  see  him  passing  through  various  *  changes  of  untried 
<<  being,'  till  at  last  he  throws  off"  this  <  mortal  coil'  itself. 
"  Deafness,  or  blindness,  or  mental  weakness,  are  but  pre- 
*<  cursors  of  immortality ;  they  announce  that  heaven  is  at 
*»  hand. 

"  Nor  are  they  without  present  use.  The  grateful  and  rea- 
<<  sonable  reflections  your  short  indisposition  produced,  are 
»«  perhaps  of  more  value  to  your  soul,  considering  it  as  strug- 
*«  gling  for  heavenly  purity,  than  new  accessions  of  mental 
♦<  power,  or  new  refinements  in  every  sense. 

«  Were  it  agreeable  to  the  will  of  God,  the  youthful  Chris- 
**  tian  might  find  it  a  happy  experience  to  suffer  the  tempo- 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  93 

"  rary  ios8  of  every  faculty  he  possesses.  Nothing  bat  expe- 
"  rience,  it  seems,  can  teach  us  the  value  of  these  common  bles- 
"  sings;  and  until  we  learn  the  value  of  them,  we  cannot 
«  be  grateful.  But  the  Lord  sends  us  our  sufferings  in  the 
"  fulness  of  time.  To  us  it  is  given  to  be  made  conformable 
"  to  Christ.  This  great  suflferer  has  sent  us  his  Comforter, 
"  to  wait  on  infirmity  and  declining  age.  What  more  noble 
<«  object  does  the  all-seeing  sun  behold,  tlian  the  *  patient 
*<  sufferer?^  It  is  awful  to  little  minds;  and  makes  them 
"  tremble  at  the  thought  of  that  purity  of  soul  which  heaven 
«<  demands. 

"  If  you  wish  for  an  epitaph  couched  in  a  single  word,  1 
<«  hope  it  will  not  be  FuL  Your  friends  indeed  might  expound 
*'  it  in  the  manner  you  mention,  but  the  stranger  would  do  it 
"  dift'erently.  'When  /say,  Fui^  I  mean  to  say,  '  My  glory 
*<  is  past,'  Ilium fuitf  <  Troy  is  fallen.'  Rather  write,  Futui^s 
«<  siivif  <  My  glory  is  to  come.'  King  Arthur's  epitaph  boasts 
'*  both  of  glory  past  and  glory  to  come. 

*•  Hie  jacet  Arthurus 

"  Rex  quondam  et  Rex  futurus." 

«  But  I  am  persuaded  you  will  only  think  of  the  glory  to 
««  come;  and  let  kings  talk  of  their  glory  past." 

Mr.  Buchanan  was  now  within  a  few  months  of  his  ordi- 
nation ;  and  to  that  important  termination  of  his  academical 
course  he  from  this  time  more  particularly  directed  his  at- 
tention. Of  his  chastened  ardour  in  the  pursuit  of  mathema- 
tical science,  and  of  his  successful  cultivation  of  classical 
literature,  some  account  has  been  already  given.  A  series 
of  commonplace  books  from  the  year  1793,  afford  also  abun- 
dant and  satisfactory  proof  of  his  diligence  in  the  acquisition 
of  general  knowledge.  Some  years  after  he  had  left  Cam- 
bridge, having  occasion  to  refer  to  his  employments  there, 
Mr.  Buchanan  observed  to  a  friend,  that  during  his  residence 
at  the  University,  <*  he  had  tasted  of  almost  every  science, 
«  and  had  endeavoured  to  bend  all  his  acquirements  to  wor 
«  thy  ends.  The  memorials  of  his  studies,  which  have  been 
just  alluded  to,  bear  ample  testimony  to  the  truth  of  tiiis  state- 
ment.   His  commonplace  books  contaiii^bridjjments  of  lee- 


94  MEMOIRS  OF 

tures  on  anatomy,  harmonics,  manufactures,  and  experimen- 
tal pliilosophy ;  abstracts  of  Locke,  of  Grotius,  and  Paley  on 
the  evidences  of  Christianity,  of  parts  of  Smith's  Wealth  of 
Nations,  of  Aristotle's  Rhetoric,  and  of  some  historical  works. 
References  occur  to  Bacon,  Cudworth,  Stillingfleet,  Chilling- 
worth,  and  other  great  authors.  Extracts  from  various  wri- 
ters both  ancient  and  modern,  chiefly  with  reference  to  moral 
and  theological  subjects.  Notes  of  sermons  preached  before 
the  University.  Important  historical  facts,  with  occasional 
reflections  upon  them;  the  meaning  of  remarkable  words, 
phrases,  and  customs  ;  observations,  either  altogether  origi- 
nal, or  digested  from  diff*erent  authors,  and  expressed  in  his 
own  words — on  infidelity ;  on  natural  and  revealed  religion; 
on  style  and  eloquence;  on  memory  and  imagination;  on 
real  and  alleged  enthusiasm,  and  on  the  use  of  reason  in  reli- 
gion ;  on  various  branches  of  political  economy ;  on  the 
French  Revolution  ;  and  on  war.  One  of  the  most  useful  and 
interesting  portions,  however,  of  these  adversaria,  comprises 
a  series  of  remarks  on  different  parts  of  Scripture  ;  on  the 
best  method  of  reading  the  Bible  ;  on  the  spirit  and  design 
of  the  sacred  writings,  particularly  with  respect  to  their  hor- 
tatory and  practical  style  ;  on  preaching,  and  in  general  on 
the  ministerial  office  ;  on  prayer  ;  on  personal  piety  ;  and  on 
the  Christian  warfare. 

These  multifareous  observations  afford  evident  marks  of 
extensive  reading,  of  a  correct  taste,  and  a  sound  judgment. 
They  exhibit  much  acuteness  and  refinement,  much  enlarge- 
ment and  originality  of  thoughts  much  acquaintance  with 
himself  and  with  the  human  character,  "  a  mind  of  large 
«  discourse,"  anxious  to  derive  information  from  every  quar- 
ter, ever  on  the  wing  to  extract  sweetness  from  every  flower, 
and  solicitous  to  employ  the  whole  to  some  valuable  purpose. 


*  Amongst  a  great  variety  of  other  subjects,  one  of  Mr.  Buchanan's  commonplace 
books  contains  some  remarks  which  are  strongly  characteristic  of  a  vein  of  humour 
and  archness,  joined  with  penetration  in  studying  human  nature,  for  which  he  was 
remarkable.  An  equally  striking  indication  of  his  wakeful  attention  to  practical  utility, 
may  be  perceived  in  the  insertion  in  another  book  of  a  list  of  anthems  caloulated  to 
excite  devotional  affections. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  95 

What  that  purpose  was,  we  may  learn  from  his  own  words  in 
one  of  the  memoranda  in  question. 

"  Is  not,"  he  asks,  "  the  grand,  the  only  object  of  my  life, 
<f  to  preach  Christ  to  men  ?  Let  me,  therefore,  convert  every 
«  species  of  mental  food  into  spiritual  nourishment ;  whether 
"  it  be  Homer  or  Milton,  Gibbon  or  Hume,  that  I  read ; 
*«  whether  it  be  with  intelligent  or  unlearned  men  that  I 
«  converse ;  or  whether  it  be  sitting  or  walking  that  I  me- 
«  ditate." 

Again,  observes  Mr.  Buchanan,  <«  If  the  cross  be  continu- 
«  ally  in  view,  there  is,  perhaps,  no  line  we  read,  no  object 
"  we  see,  no  fact  we  hear,  but  may  be  improved,  by  applying 
"  it  to  Christ,  to  ourselves,  or  to  those  around  us.  Such  ex- 
"  ercise  as  this  would  give  a  holy  fertility  to  the  imagina- 
«  tion." 

It  would  not  be  difficult  to  select  from  the  copious  collec- 
tions in  question  a  variety  of  useful  and  interesting  obser- 
vations upon  the  important  subjects  which  they  embrace,  as 
well  as  many  striking  illustrations  of  the  sentiments  expres- 
sed in  the  preceding  quotations.  For  the  sake,  however,  of 
brevity,  two  or  three  passages  only  shall  be  extracted,  as  a 
specimen  of  many  others  which  might  be  adduced. 

The  first  is  from  some  remarks  on  Paley's  definition,  in 
his  View  of  the  Evidences,  of  the  design  of  Christianity  as  a 
divine  revelation ;  that  is,  as  he  represents  it,  to  acquaint 
mankind  with  the  doctrine  of  a  future  state.  To  which  Mr. 
Buchanan  replies,  "  No.  Because,  although  men  had  been 
"  acquainted  with  this  by  an  extraordinary  messenger,  they 
"  could  not  obtain  heaven  in  the  way  proposed,  namely,  by 
"  observing  the  precepts  of  Christianity.  No  one  can  keep 
<<  them.  It  would  have  been  an  unhappy,  an  unwelcome 
<<  revelation  indeed-—'  There  is  a  future  state.  Do  this,  and 
*<  live  to  enjoy  it.'     Is  this  Christianity  ? 

"  The  Christian  might  then  say,  <  I  wish  we  had  not  heard 
«'  of  this.  I  wish  we  could  have  been  left  to  solace  ourselves 
"  with  the  thought  of  future  Elysian  fields,  and  waters  of 
"  Lethe,  and  a  temporary  punishment :  we  had  then  never 
<«  heard  of  everlasting  chains,  and  penal  fire.' 


96  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  No.  The  news  by  Christ  is  not,"  (lie  evidently  means, 
not  merely,)  "  that  there  is  a  future  heaven  ;  but  rather  how 
<<  to  attain  it.  Christianity  is  the  solution  ol'that  celebrated 
'•  question  of  Job,  *  How  shall  man  be  just  with  God  ?'  Were 
<<  I,  therefore,  to  describe  in  very  few  words,  the  scope  of 
«  Christianity  as  a  revelation,  I  should  say,  that  it  was  to 
*<  shew  <  how  God  could  be  just,  and  the  justifier  of  him  that 
"  believes  in  Jesus.'  The  particular  information,  (for  we 
"  had  the  general  before,)  is  merely  collateral.  It  is  a  part 
"  only  of  the  Gospel.  The  angel  announced  it  to  the  shep- 
"  herds,  not  as  discovering  a  future  state,  but  a  Saviour. 
*<  *  Unto  you  is  born  this  day  in  the  city  of  David,  a  Saviour, 
<<  which  is  Christ  the  Lord.'  And  St.  Paul  speaks  of  the 
<^  Gospel  as  revealing  the  <  righteousness  of  God  by  faith  of 
*<  Jesus  Christ.'  "  (Rom.  iii.  22.) 

It  may  perhaps  be  thought,  that  in  these  remarks  Mr. 
Buchanan  has  interpreted  Paley's  definition  of  the  design  of 
Christianity  too  strictly.  It  is  certain,  however,  that  the 
revelation  of  a  future  state  is  desciibed  by  that  admirable 
writer  in  the  work  in  question,  too  exclusively  as  the  object 
of  the  Gospel;  and  that  its  grand  message  of  salvation 
through  a  divine  Redeemer  ought,  under  the  actual  condition 
of  mankind,  to  be  upon  all  occasions  more  prominently  ex- 
hibited. 

The  next  extract  is  of  a  more  general,  but  not  less  impor 
tant  nature. 

<^  That  man  is  unacquainted  with  the  constitution  of  the 
<«  human  mind,  who  does  not  know  that  it  stands  in  constant 
•<  need  of  being  roused  to  action.  You  will  answer,  /pass  a 
"  very  active  life.  But  what  principle  has  roused  you  to  this 
"activity?  Is  it  the  acquisition  of  wealth?  love  of  fame? 
^«  love  of  splendour  ?  the  gratification  of  a  particular  pas- 
"  sion  ?  Or  is  it  a  principle  of  piety  towards  God?  a  convic- 
f*  tion  of  a  future  judgment  ?  a  view  of  the  cross  ? 

"We  do  not  ask  in  what  your  activity  consists;  that  is 
"  unnecessary  :  because  if  we  learn  the  motive,  we  learn  the 
<«  action.  Christianity  is  properly  a  religion  of  motives  :  it 
"  teaches  us  that  a  good  tree  cannot  but  bring  forth  good 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  97 

♦*  fruit,  that  good  principles  will  produce  good  actions.  And 
*<  therefore  it  is,  that  it  is  of  little  service  to  declaim  against 
«  a  particular  vice^  for  though  one  he  removed,  another  will 
**  spring  up.  How  can  the  streams  be  pure,  if  the  fountain 
<f  be  troubled  ?  Hence  too  it  is,  that  no  spiritual  tyranny 
"  can  be  compared  to  that  of  the  preacher  insisting  tliat  his 
"  hearers  should  practise  particular  virtues,  without  giving 
«'  them  a  principle  which  can  produce  such.  It  is  like  say- 
*<  ing  to  the  leper,  <  Be  clean,'  without  pointing  to  the  puri- 
<*  fying  waters  of  Jordan. 

<*  Here  too  failed  the  Pagan  philosophers.  They  insisted 
'« on  certain  virtues,  but  they  knew  of  no  soul-subduing 
"  principle.  When  at  last  a  principle  was  proposed  to  them 
«  from  heaven,  some  received  it ;  but  the  many  rejected  it, 
<«  because  it  was  too  simple,  too  humbling,  too  inconsistent 
<»\vith  human  dogmas  and  human  pride.  So  it  is  now.  It 
<«  is  easy  to  descant  in  metaphor  and  trope  on  the  beauties 
*^  of  virtue,  the  unseemliness  of  vice,  and  the  fitness  of 
'<  things ;  but  it  is  difficult  to  preach  Christ  crucified.  It  is 
•<  easy  to  say  what  men  ought  to  be  ;  but  it  is  difficult  to  say 
"^  what  the  Scripture  declares  they  are. 

**  If  any  one  should  deny  this,  we  would  ask  one  question. 
..  "Why  were  the  Apostles  persecuted  ?  Why  were  the  preach- 
**  €fs  of  holiness  despised?" 

The  third  extract  from  the  memorials  of  Mr.  Buchanan's 
academical  reflections  and  studies  contains  some  brief  obser- 
vations on  several  important  points.  The  first,  relating  to 
enthusiasm  in  religion,  is  one  only  of  a  series  of  remarks, 
which  prove  how  carefully  he  had  studied  that  subject,  and 
with  what  jealousy  he  viewed  any  approach  to  enthusiasm, 
justly  so  called. 


"  Fanaticism  proves  nothing  against  religion.  It  is  one  of 
«<  its  diseases;  and  implies  no  more  that  there  is  no  such 
« thing  as  religion,  than  madness  that  there  is  no  reason, 
"  or  distemper  that  there  is  no  health.  ^ 


9S  MEMOIRS  OF 

^<  To  detect  Enthusiasm  in  one's  self  or  others.'* 
"  When  a  rational  account  cannot  be  given  of  our  actions. 
**  The  truly  religious  man  can  always  give  a  reason  of  the 
<*  hope  that  is  in  him.  The  enthusiast  contents  himself  with 
•^  enveloping  his  views  in  some  mysterious  passage  of  Scrip- 
<«  ture,  inexplicable  even  to  himself,  though  influencing  his 
»*  conduct." 


«<  The  enthusiasm  sanctioned  by  Scripture  is  innoxious. 
«  It  is  a  lambent  flame,  which  warms  and  animates  the  soul 
«  to  heavenly  converse.  By  reason  it  is  sought,  by  reason 
*<  directed  in  its  operation.  But  that  lawless  principle  of 
*<  which  we  speak,  like  an  ignis  fatuus^  leads  the  benighted 
*«  soul  into  an  abyss  of  error  and  absurdity.^' 


<'«The  wicked  cannot  be  eternally  punished,'  says  the 
^'  philosopher,  *  for  it  is  contrary  to  my  reason.'  <  Thy  rea- 
"  son,'  replies  the  Almighty,  «  What  reason  hast  thou  to 
^<  judge  of  my  purposes  ?  "  As  the  heavens  are  higher  than 
<«  the  earth,  so  are  my  thoughts  higher  than  thy  thoughts." 
<<  The  portion  of  reason  which  I  have  given  thee,  is  suffi- 
<*  cient,  if  rightly  exercised,  to  teach  thee  to  believe  all  that 
<<  I  declare,  whether  thou  understandest  it  or  not.' 

<«  But  the  philosopher  will  not  submit  his  reason  to  God: 
••  he  chooses  to  be  an  infidel.  He  laughs  at  the  ignorance 
*«  and  obstinacy  of  the  rustic,  who  refuses  to  believe  that  the 
'<  earth  moves  round  the  sun,  because  it  contradicts  the  evi-^ 
«<  dence  of  his  sight ;  while  he  himself,  more  stupidly  igno- 
^i  rant,  more  unpardonably  obstinate,  disbelieves  <  the  word 
-of  God!'" 


*<  When  you  find  yourself  active  and  alert  in  body  and 
**  mind,  your  spirits  high,  and  your  understanding  clear  and 
•<  capable  of  great  things,  then  betake  yourself  to  prayer^ 
<•  be  it  noon  or  night.     Give  to  God  your  best  hours. '^ 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  99 

••  Christianity  was  at  first  assisted  in  its  propagation  by 
•i  the  civilization  and  extent  of  the  Roman  empire. 

«  Thus  our  extensive  commerce  with  the  known  woild 
"  ought  to  aid  it  once  more." 


One  other  extract  from  Mr.  Buchanan's  collections  will 
recal  our  attention  to  the  progress  of  this  Memoir.  It  con^ 
tains  his  practical  inferences  from  a  view  of  the  office  of  dea- 
^^  cons  in  the  primative  church,  apparently  compiled  from 
^*  Irenseus. 

<<  It  is  my  business,"  he  concludes  from  this  vievv,  •*  to 
''  keep  in  the  background,  considering  myself  as  but  a  ser- 
••  vant  or  under- worker ;  to  try  to  endear  my  rector  more 
«^  to  his  people,  little  solicitous  about  my  own  fame ;  only 
•^  anxious  to  promote  his  cause  by  exemplary  conduct,  and 
•<  to  fill  up  the  blank  spaces  or  intervals  of  his  labours  ;  for 
*•  though  blank  places  are  supplied  by  an  unskilful  hand,  it 
"  does  not  much  disfigure  the  work.  Mine,  in  short,  I  con- 
»*  ceive,  is  to  be,  the  humble  office  of  performing  the  me- 
»*  chanical  part  of  the  sacerdotal  function." 

The  singular  humility  of  these  reflections,  combined  with 
the  preceding  evidence  of  his  piety,  as  well  as  of  his  literary 
and  theological  attainments,  sufficiently  testify  the  fidelity 
and  success  with  which  Mr.  Buchanan  had  improved  the 
period  of  his  academical  residence,  and  how  fully  he  was 
qualified  to  engage  in  the  sacred  office  to  which  he  aspired. 
He  took  his  degree  of  B.  A.  at  the  commencement,  as  he 
had  proposed  j  and  in  pursuance  of  the  intention  whicli  he 
had  expressed  in  his  last  letter  to  Mr.  Newton,  he  appears 
to  have  continued  at  Cambridge  during  the  long  vacation 
till  the  second  week  in  September,  when  he  wrote  to  his  ex- 
cellent friend,  under  whose  experienced  guidance  he  was 
about  shortly  to  enter  upon  the  important  work  of  the  mini- 
stry, in  the  following  terms. 

«'  I  had  a  letter  from  the  Bishop's  secretary  this  morning. 
«  His  Lordship  approves  of  my  credentials.  Thursday  se'- 
<*  night  (the  17th  inst.)  is  appointed  for  the  examination, 


100  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  and  Sunday  following  for  the  ordination.  I  propose  to 
<*  leave  Cambridge  on  Tuesday  evening  by  the  mail,  which 
**  win  be  in  town  early  next  morning ;  and  I  shall  pro- 
*<  eeed  to  Fulham  without  stopping,  that  I  may  have  the  re- 
**  mainder  of  the  day  and  next  morning  to  myself.  So  it  is 
»*  not  probable  that  I  shall  see  you  till  Monday  following. 

•<I  demand  your  prayers  for  one  who  is  about  to  enter  on 
"^  the  ministry.  Pray,  that  when  the  Bishop  lays  his  hands 
*^  upon  my  head,  I  may  devote  myself  a  martyr  for  Him, 
*'  who  hung  upon  the  cross  for  me." 

In  this  strong  and  affecting  language  did  Mr.  Buchanan 
express  the  feelings  with  which  he  was  about  to  dedicate 
himself  to  the  service  of  his  Redeemer.  It  is  not  often, 
perhaps,  that  so  deep  an  impression  of  the  love  of  Christ  is 
felt  by  the  candidate  for  the  sacred  office  ;  but,  though  the 
disposition  of  every  one  ought  to  be  similar,  the  case  of  Mr. 
Buchanan  was  doubtless  somewhat  peculiar.  The  steps  by 
which  he  had  been  led  to  the  ministry  of  the  Gospel,  and  tlie 
hints  which  had  more  than  once  been  given  of  his  probable 
employment  in  a  foreign  country,  tended  to  inspire  him  with 
the  purpose  and  the  resolution  which  he  thus  briefly  but  for- 
cibly described.  It  can  scarcely  be  doubted,  that  the  diary^ 
in  which  he  had  been  accustomed,  from  the  year  1790,  to' 
record  both  the  events  of  his  life  and  his  private  reflections, 
contained  a  more  detailed  account  of  his  feelings  and  senti- 
ments upon  this  interesting  occasion ;  but  the  loss  of  that 
valuable  memorial  deprives  us  of  any  farther  particulars 
respecting  it,  and  compels  us  to  be  contented  with  the 
simple  fact,  that  after  an  examination,  which  appears  to 
have  been  more  than  ordinarily  satisfactory,  Mr.  Buchanan 
was  ordained  a  deacon  on  Sunday  the  20th  of  September 
1795,  at  Fulham,  by  the  late  pious  and  excellent  Bishop 
Porteus.  Immediately  after  this  admission  into  holy  orders, 
he  entered  upon  his  engagement  as  curate  to  Mr.  Newton, 
and  continued,  during  a  few  succeeding  months,  to  discharge 
the  humble  and  unobtrusive  duties  which  he  had  previously 
so  well  described. 


DR.  BUCHANAN,  101 

Early,  however,  in  the  year  1796,  the  friends  by  whose 
Christian  kindness  and  liberality  he  had  been  introduced 
into  the  church,  conceiving  that  his  talents  might  be  more 
advantageously  employed  abroad,  recurred  to  the  plan  which 
had  for  some  time  been  more  or  less  in  their  view,  and  re- 
solved to  endeavour  to  obtain  for  him  the  appointment  of  a 
chaplain  in  the  service  of  the  East  India  Company.  Appli- 
cation was  accordingly  made  to  a  distinguislied  Director, 
Charles  Grant,  Esq.  accompanied  by  such  testimonials  as 
amply  certified  the  qualifications  of  Mr.  Buchanan  for  the 
office  to  which  he  was  recommended.  Of  these  it  may  be 
proper  to  insert  copies,  more  particularly  as  they  may  tend 
to  accredit  the  judgment  as  well  as  the  zeal  which  led  to 
the  appointment  in  question.  The  first  is  from  the  Presi- 
dent and  Fellows  of  Queen's  college,  Cambridge,  and  is  ex- 
pressed in  the  following  terms. 

"Queen's  College,  Cambridge,  March  8, 1796. 

•'  We  the  undersigned,  the  President,  Tutors,  and  l^el- 
**  lows  of  Queen's  college,  Cambridge,  do  certify  that  Clau- 
**  dius  Buchanan  has  been  a  member  of  this  college  upwards 
*»  of  four  years,  during  which  time  he  regulai'ly  resided 
*-*  among  us,  and  always  conducted  himself  with  the  greatest 
**  propriety  and  decorum.  His  attention  to  discipline,  his 
"sobriety,  and  progress  in  learning,  gave  the  greatest 
"satisfaction  to  the  governing  part  of  the  college^  and,  in 
"  general,  we  have  no  doubt  but  that  he  is  well  qualified  by 
"talents  and  good  principles  to  undertake  tlie  offices  in 
"  India,  for  which  we  are  informed  he  is  a  candidate. 

"  Isaac  Milner,  President. 

"  J.  Thos.  Jordan,  Vice-President. 

"  P.  Heaton. 

"  Fras.  Knipe,  Tutor. 

"  T.  L*  HUBBERSTY. 

"  R.  A.  Ingram. 

"  C.  Farish,  Dean. 

"  Thos.  Bouri)ixi.on,  Lecturer.- ' 


iOS  MEMOIRS  OF 

The  preceding  certificate  was  transmitted  to  Mr.  Grant 
by  Dr.  Milner  with  the  following  letter,  in  which  the  learn> 
ed  President  took  the  opportunity  of  bearing  a  more  particu- 
lar and  decisive  testimony  to  the  merits  of  Mr.  Buchanan. 

"Queen's  College,  Cambridge,  March  8,  1796. 

*'  Dear  Sir, 
"I  enclose  you  the  college's  testimonial  of  Mr.  Buchan- 
**  an's  good  behaviour,  which  is  expressed  in  general  terms  : 
**  but  if  it  were  needful  to  be  more  particular,  I  could  add  a 
**  great  deal.  In  my  judgment,  much  may  be  expected  from 
"  his  ability,  industry,  and  discretion.  He  has  an  uncom- 
*'  mon  zeal  for  every  thing  that  is  praiseworthy,  and  this 
*'  zeal  IS  tempered  and  directed  by  a  sound  and  well-inform- 
"  ed  understanding.  His  good  sense  and  attainments  must 
*<  procure  him  respect  everywhere.  He  will  be  certainly 
*^  on  the  watch  for  opportunities  to  do  good.  Mr.  Buchan- 
"  an  obtained  both  classical  and  mathematical  prizes  at 
"  college. 

**  I  am,  dear  Sir, 
"  Yours, 

«  Isaac  Mixner." 
"  To  Charles  Grant,  Esq.  London,*^ 

The  testimonial  of  the  venerable  Bishop  Porteus  is  equal- 
ly satisfactory  as  to  that  part  of  Mr.  Buchanan's  qualifica- 
tions  which  came  more  immediately  under  his  Lordship's 
notice.     It  was  as  follows. 

"  London  House,  March  12,  1796. 

*<  Being  desired  to  bear  my  testimony  to  the  character 
<^and  ability  of  the  Rev.  Claudius  Buchanan,  I  hereby  cer- 
♦*  tify  that  he  was  admitted  to  the  holy  order  of  Deacon  by 
*<  me  on  the  20th  of  September  1795  ;  that  he  brought  with 
*<  him  the  usual  testimonials  from  college,  and  was  highly 
«» spoken  of  to  me  by  some  gentlemen  of  very  respectable 
«<  character.  His  attainments  in  sacred  literature,  and  par- 
«'  ticularly  in  the  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures,  I  think  supe- 
*'  rior  to  what  I  have  found  in  most  of  those  that  I  have 
*<  examined  for  holy  orders. 

**  B.  London." 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  103 

in  consequence  of  these  various  testimonies  to  his  ahili- 
ties  as  a  scholar,  his  attainments  as  a  divine,  and  his  gene> 
ral  character  for  temperate  and  well-directed  zeal  for  the 
honour  of  God,  and  the  welfare  of  mankind,  Mr.  Buchanan 
was  appointed  one  of  the  chaplains  to  the  East  India  Com- 
pany on  Wednesday,  March  30,  1796.  When  introduced 
to  the  Court  of  Directors  for  the  purpose  of  taking  the  oaths 
usual  upon  similar  occasions,  he  was  addressed  by  the  chair- 
man, the  late  Sir  Stephen  Lushington,  on  the  importance 
of  his  office,  and  on  the  duties  imposed  on  a  minister  of 
religion  in  India ;  and  so  lively  a  recollection  did  he  retain 
of  this  unexpected  but  very  laudable  charge,  that  he  more 
than  once  referred  to  it  in  the  course  of  his  future  life.  He 
thus  mentions  the  address  of  the  honourable  chairman  many 
years  after  it  had  been  delivered. 

"  The  venerable  Baronet  observed,  that  French  princi- 
"  pies  were  sapping  the  foundations  of  Christianity  and  of 
*<  social  order ;  and  he  earnestly  inculcated  on  me  the  duty 
•^  of  defending  and  promoting  the  principles  of  the  Christian 
<^  religion  by  every  proper  means.  I  was  much  affected  by 
*<  the  solemnity  of  the  occasion,  and  by  the  energy  and  feel- 
**  ing  with  which  the  address  was  delivered  :  and  the  subject 
*^*  of  the  charge  itself  made  a  great  impression  on  my  mind. 
*'  particularly  when  meditating  on  it  afterwards,  during  my 
'•  voyage.'- 

Soon  after  the  appointment  of  Mr.  Buchanan  to  India,  he 
received  priest's  orders  from  the  Bishop  of  London  ;  and  in 
the  month  of  May  went  down  to  Scotland,  in  order  at  once 
to  revisit  his  family,  and  again  take  leave  of  them  previously 
to  his  approaching  voyage  to  India. 

The  feelings  of  both  parties  upon  this  meeting  were,  it 
may  be  readily  imagined,  of  a  mixed  but  very  interesting 
nature.  Nearly  nine  years  had  elapsed  since  Mr.  Buchanan^ 
partly  impelled  by  disappointed  affection,  and  partly  by  the 
flattering  visions  of  a  youthful  imagination,  had  left  his  na- 
tive country,  and  sojourned  in  a  strange  land.  During  that 
long  interval  many  remarkable  events  had  occurred.  One 
of  his  earthly  parents  was  no  more  :  but  he  had,  like  the 


104h  memoirs  of 

protlif^al,  returned  to  bis  heavenly  Father,  and  by  him  he 
had  been   distinguished  by  peculiar  marks  of  kindness  and 
favour.     After  having  suffered  many  external  hardships  and 
much  inward  distress,  he  had  been  relieved  in  no  ordinary 
manner  from  both,  by  the  providence   and  grace  of  God. 
Opportunities  had  been  afforded  him,  which   he  had  dili- 
gently improved,  of  acquiring  the  treasures  of  human  science 
and  learning ;  and  with  a  mind  thus  richly  stored,  and  a 
heart  deeply  impressed  with  the  inestimable  value  of  the 
Gospel,  he  had  been  called  to  the  work  of  the  ministry,  and 
had  novv  the  prospect  of  being  permitted  "  to  preach  among 
<*the  Gentiles  the    unsearchable  riches  of  Christ.'^     The 
emotions  of  Mr.  Buchanan  during  his  journey  to  Scotland, 
under  these  remarkable  circumstances,  must  have  been  pe- 
culiarly affecting.     While   *<  a  new  song"  had  been  put  into 
his  mouth,  of  joy  and  thanksgiving,  it  would   be  somewhat 
damped  by  the  recollection  of  past  sorrows,  the  pain  of  his 
approaching  departure  from   his  kindred  and  country,   and 
the  anticipation  of  future  labours  and  trials.     The  feelings 
of  his  widowed  mother  and  surviving  brethren  would  be 
scarcely  less  checquered  by  joy  and  sorrow.     Delighted  as 
they  must  have  been  by  the  return  of  their  beloved  relative, 
enriched  with  divine  and  human  knowledge,  and  honoured 
by  an   appointment  which  more  than  realized  their  highest 
wishes  and  expectations,  the  pleasure  of  their  intercourse 
with  him  would  be  not  a  little  clouded  by  the  thought  of  its 
transient  nature,  and  the  prospect  of  a  long,  perliaps,  as  to 
this  world,  a  final  separation  in  a  far  distant  land.  Such,  we 
may  justly  suppose,  were  the  mutual  feelings  and  reflections 
of  Mr.  Buchanan   and   his  family  during  his  short   abode 
with  them  at  this  interesting  period.     He  appears  to  have 
remained  in   Scotland  till  the  first  week  in  June,  when  he 
returned  to  London,  to  complete  the  preparations  for  his 
voyage.     On  the  3rd  of  July,  he  preached  for  Mr.  Newton 
at  St.  Mary  Woolnoth  ;  and  terminated  by  a  pious  and  affec- 
tionate  farewell  his  short  connection  with  the  congregation 
of  his  dear  and  venerable  friend. 


MEMOIRS 


OF  THE 

REV.  DR.  BUCHANAN. 

PART  II. 

CHAPTER  I. 

AMONGST  the  various  recommendations  and  introduc- 
tions from  his  more  immediate  patrons  and  friends,  by  which 
Mr.  Buchanan  was  accompanied  to  India,  one  occurs,  from 
so  respectable  a  quai'ter,  and  of  so  appropriate  a  nature, 
that  it  may  be  proper  to  insert  it.  This  is  a  letter  from  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Gaskin,  Secretary  to  the  Society  for  promoting 
Christian  Knowledge,  to  the  Rev.  David  Brown,  then  one 
of  the  East  India  Company's  chaplain's  resident  in  Cal- 
cutta. That  part  of  his  letter  which  relates  to  Mr.  Bu- 
chanan is  as  follows. 

"London,  July  3,  1796. 

"  Rev.  and  dear  Sir, 
**  It  is  with  particular  pleasure  that  I  introduce  to  you  the 
*«  name  of  the  Rev.  Claudius  Buchanan,  who  is  appointed  to  be 
"  chaplain  to  the  Hon.  Company,  and  in  whom  I  am  persua- 
*«  ded  you  will  find  a  most  valuable  colleague;  as  I  have  every 
"  reason  to  believe,  from  the  intercourse  I  have  had  with 
<«  him,  and  from  the  testimony  chiefly  of  my  Lord  Bishop  of 
"  London,  that  he  is  a  man  of  sound  learning,  serious  piety, 
<^  and  great  steadiness.  I  was  myself  present,  and  assisted  at 
<<  his  admission  to  priest's  orders.  The  pleasure  I  have  in 
*f  communicating  this  information  is  considerably  increased 
«  from  the  full  expectation  I  entertain,  that  he  will  cheerful- 
<•'  ly,  and  to  the  utmost  of  his  power,  assist  you  at  the  mission 

*<  ehurcb.*' 

o 


106  MEMOIRS  OF 

This  was,  liowever,  by  no  means  the  only  iiilroduction 
which  Mr.  Buchanan  carried  with  him  to  the  pious  and  ex- 
cellent  person  to  whom  the  foregoing  letter  was  addressed  ; 
who  afterwards  proved  one  of  liis  most  valued  and  intii>iate 
friends,  and  with  whom  he  was  long  associated  in  the  various 
labours  which  devolved  upon  him  in  India. 

Thus  recommended  and  accredited,  Mr.  Buclianan  left 
London  for  Portsmouth  on  Saturday  the  30th  of  July,  and 
on  the  11th  of  August  following,  he  embarked  on  board  the 
Busbridge  East  Indiaman,  commanded  by  Captain  Dobree, 
and  sailed  for  Bengal.  During  the  course  of  his  extensive 
voyage,  Mr.  Buchanan  was  diligently  employed  in  acqui- 
ring useful  knowledge,  and  in  endeavouring  to  promote  the 
improvement  of  his  various  companions  and  fellow-pas 
sengers. 

The  principal  subjects  of  his  studies  were  probably  such 
as  bore  an  immediate  reference  to  the  work  of  the  ministry, 
and  to  his  peculiar  destination  in  India;  but  the  only  traces 
of  them  which  now  remain  consist  of  some  additional  com- 
mon-place books,  one  of  which  is  dated  at  sea  in  January 
1797,  near  the  island  of  St.  Paul,  containing  abridgments 
of  chemistry  from  Lavoisier,  of  botany  from  Rousseau  and 
Martin,  of  the  history  of  Denmark  and  Sweden,  and  misceL 
ianeous  observations,  chiefly  of  an  historical  nature. 

Of  his  employments,  views,  and  feelings  in  the  early  part 
of  his  voyage,  the  following  letter  to  Mr.  Newton  presents 
an  interesting  account. 

"  Busbridge  East-Indiaman, 
"at  sea,  off  the  Canaries,  27  Aug.  1796, 

«  My  dear  Sir, 
»<  I  take  tiie  opportunity  of  writing  to  you  by  the  Poly- 
-'  pliemus,  a  64-gun-ship,  which,  after  convoying  us  safely 
« to  this  latitude,  returns  now  to  England.  We  have  had  a 
«  monsoon  all  the  way.  We  took  our  departure  from  the 
*<  Lizard,  and  in  eight  days  made  the  island  of  Madeira;  a 
*^  shorter  passage  than  the  East  India  fleet  has  ever  had. 
•  In  two  days  we  hope  to  arrive  at  the  trade  winds ;  indeed 
*<  the  captain  thinks  we  have  them  already.    About  the  end 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  '^        1^7 

♦«  of  September  we  expect  to  reach  the  Cape  ;  from  which 
"  place  you  will  probably  hear  from  me,  1  enjoy  good 
«  health  on  board.  I  was  sea-sick  for  about  a  week.  Every 
•'*  body  pays  me  much  attention.  I  am  instructing  some  in 
<<  science,  some  in  classical  knowledge,  some  in  tlie  belles 
»'  lettres,  and  all,  I  hope,  in  Christian  truth.  I  do  not  ex- 
**  peet  to  be  so  useful  in  preaching  sermons  to  them,  as  in 
"  conversation.  The  captain  supports  a  very  consistent 
"  character.  He  is  the  friend  of  virtue,  and  I  doubt  not  but 
"  he  will  continue  to  arm  my  endeavours  with  his  power. 
*^  All  his  officers  are  in  proper  subjection  to  him  ;  and  exert 
*^  their  authority  in  the  ship  in  accommodating  me. 

"  We  liave  more  than  a  dozen  officers  of  the  army  going 
**  out  as  passengers.  I  have  some  weight  with  them ; 
'*  but  there  are  many  divisions  among  themselves.  They 
"  have  been  challenging  already ;  and  probably  duels  may 
*»  follow. 

♦«  We  are  now  about  twenty  sail.  The  frigate  I'Oiseau 
»<  accompanies  us  to  the  Cape,  and  will  probably  carry  home 
^*  our  letters. 

"  One  day  lately  an  enemy  appeared  in  sight ;  and  we 
*«  began  to  think  of  an  engagement.  Then  was  the  time  for 
«<  examining  myself,  and  learning  what  was  my  object  in  a 
"  voyage  to  India.  Indeed,  unless  we  have  some  confidence 
"  that  the  Lord  is  with  us,  our  hearts  must  sink  in  despair 
♦^on  such  occasions.  But  where  we  can  believe  that  He  is 
«  leading  us  out  on  Im  own  service,  we  have  nothing  to  fear 
*'  from  an  enemy,  or  from  the, dangers  of  the  sea.  On  the 
"  contrary,  tlie  faithful  servant  must  rejoice  that  his  Lord 
«  will  come  so  soon,  and  lead  him  to  that  rest  which  he  seeks 
*«  for  in  vain  on  earth. 

**  When  the  enemy  came  nearer,  they  discovered  that  we 
"  had  a  superior  force,  and  bore  away. 


<»  I  hope  Miss  C.  and  the  rest  of  your  house  are  happy. 
**  They  have  great  advantages,  which  I  trust  they  improve. 
*«  They  live  in  the  house  of  peace  and  instruction.     They, 


108  MEMOIRS  OF 

*^  with  you,  will,  I  hope,  shortly  inherit  your  mansion  in  the 
*<  skies. 

^<  It  is  with  me  as  I  expected.  I  feel  little  difference  in 
*'  mind,  whether  navigating  the  ocean,  or  sitting  quietly  in 
"  Coleman-Street.  It  would  appear  as  if  I  had  lost  all  rel- 
"  ish  for  earthly  pleasure.  No  novelty  excites  my  atten- 
"  tion.  My  countenance  is  acquiring  a  grave  settled  cast. 
<*  I  feel  as  if  nothing  could  give  joy  to  my  soul,  but  freedom 
^«  from  the  body.  And  yet  being  sensible  that  I  may  remain 
<«  long  on  duty  here,  I  often  inquire  of  myself  how  I  am  to 
*«  pass  the  heavy  hours.  Perhaps  a  closer  walk  with  God, 
<<  greater  activity  in  his  service,  and  some  species  of  afflic- 
« tion  hitherto  unfelt,  may  at  length  unloose  my  bonds,  and 
<«  give  me  that  enjoyment  of  life  to  which  I  have  so  long 
"  been  a  stranger.  I  have  great  hopes  indeed  from  enter- 
"  prising  a  little  in  my  Master's  service,  and  fighting  with 
"  courage  for  his  honour.  I  shall  write  to  you  frqm  time  to 
"  time,  and  acquaint  you  how  it  is  with  me. 

<«  It  will  be  a  remarkable  day  when  you  and  I  meet  in 
(i  heaven.  I  dare  not  say,  Sero  redeas  ;  because  I  trust  that 
"  you  are  <  ready.'  I  fear  you  will  have  learnt  many  a  song 
<«  in  heaven  before  I  come.  But  let  me  not  despond.  What 
«  saith  the  Scripture  ?     Ut  dies^  sic  robur, 

<<  May  you  be  preserved  in  your  old  age,  so  that  your 
«  Lord  may  be  glorified  in  the  ending,  as  in  the  beginning 
*<  of  your  Christian  life. 

a  Forgive  me  all  my  faults,  and  believe  me  to  be, 
«  My  dear  Sir, 

«  Your  affectionate  son, 

<«  C.  Buchanan." 

The  foregoing  letter  appears  to  contain  the  only  memo- 
rial of  Mr.  Buchanan's  voyage  which  now  exists.  His 
diary,  the  loss  of  which  we  must  have  frequent  occasion  to 
lament,  doubtless  recorded  many  particulars  which  might 
have  gratified  and  instructed  us.  A  few  memoranda,  how- 
ever, only  remain.  On  the  18th  of  November,  some  weeks 
later  than  he  had  expected,  the  fleet  arrived  at  the  Cape  of 


DB.  BUCHANAN. 


109 


Good  Hope,  On  the  10th  of  December  it  again  sailed,  and 
reached  Madras  on  the  17th  of  February ;  and  on  the  10th 
of  March,  Mr.  Buchanan  landed  at  Calcutta,  two  days  be- 
fore the  completion  of  the  31st  year  of  his  age. 

On  his  arrival  at  the  capital  of  the  British  possessions  in 
India,  he  was  hospitably  received  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Brown, 
and  resided  for  a  short  time  in  his  family.  He  then  took  a 
house  in  Durrumlollah,  where,  however,  he  continued  but 
two  months,  being  at  the  end  of  that  time  appointed  chaplain 
at  Barrackpore,  a  military  station  about  sixteen  miles  above 
Calcutta. 

By  this  arrangement,  which,  however  usual  according  to 
the  rules  of  the  East  India  service,  he  does  not  appear  to 
have  anticipated,  Mr.  Buchanan  found  himself  placed  in  a 
situation  by  no  means  congenial  with  his  taste  and  feelings, 
and  affording  but  few  opportunities  for  the  exercise  of  his 
ministry.  Barrackpore  possessed  no  place  for  public  wor- 
ship ;  and  divine  service  was  never  required  by  the  military 
staff  to  which  he  was  attached. 

This  unexpected  seclusion  from  active  duty,  combined 
with  the  influence  of  an  enervating  climate,  which  he  very 
soon  began  to  feel,  and  of  society  for  the  most  part  unfriend-' 
ly  to  religion,  produced  in  Mr.  Buchanan  a  considerable  de- 
pression of  spirits,  and  even  gave  occasion  to  some  of  his 
friends  in  Europe  to  attribute  his  comparative  inactivity  on 
his  arrival  in  India  to  abatement  of  zeal  rather  than,  as  the 
truth  required,  to  causes  over  which  he  could  exercise  no 
control. 

When  Mr.  Buchanan  arrived  at  Calcutta,  Mr.  Brown  was 
one  of  the  two  chaplains  of  the  presidency.  He  held  also  the 
chaplaincy  of  the  garrison.  Some  of  Mr.  Buchanan's  friends 
in  England  conceived  that  the  latter  appointment  might 
have  been  transferred  to  him  ;  or  that  he  might  have  officia- 
ted at  the  mission  church.  As  to  the  garrison,  it  appears 
that  motives  of  delicacy  and  kindness  towards  Mr.  Brov/n, 
with  whom  he  lived  from  the  first  on  the  most  friendly  and 
affectionate  terms,  prevented  him  from  soliciting  such  an  ar- 
rangement ;  and  the  mission  church  was  then  occupied  by 


110  MEMOIRS  OF 

the  Rev.  Mr.  Riiigeltaube,  a  clergyman  of  the  Lutheran 
church,  who  had  been  sent  to  India  under  the  patronage  of 
the  Society  for  promoting  Christian  Knowledge.  No  sooner, 
however,  had  Mr.  Ringeltaube  abandoned  this  post,  as  he 
shortly  afterwards  did,  than  Mr.  Buchanan  participated 
with  Mr.  Brown  the  gratuitous  labour  of  the  mission  church. 
It  appears  also  that  he  occasionally  performed  divine  ser- 
vice in  his  house  at  Barrackpore ;  probably  as  often  as  he 
could  obtain  an  audience. 

The  following  letter  will  explain  the  confidential  nature 
of  Mr.  Buchanan's  intercourse  with  Mr.  Brown.  The  for- 
mer part  of  it  relates  to  a  proposed  measure  respecting  an 
evening  lecture  at  one  of  the  churches  in  Calcutta,  and  to 
the  chaplaincy  of  Fort  William ;  the  latter  will  exhibit  a 
most  interesting  and  instructive  picture  of  the  mind  of  the 
writer,  and  will  throw  considerable  light  on  some  of  the  pre- 
ceding observations. 

"  Barrackpore,  9(h  June,  1797. 

«<  My  dear  Sir, 

•<  I  have  just  received  yours.  I  understood  your  last  very 
**  well.  I  meant  to  say  in  answer,  that  to  levy  a  contribu- 
**  tion  for  the  current  expenses  of  the  lecture,  would  be  very 
<<  painful  to  me ;  equally  so  as  a  contribution  for  personal 
^^  support. 

«  When  I  mentioned  my  idea  of  gratuity  for  professional 
<*  duties,  it  was  to  explain  my  delicacy  about  pecuniary  sub- 
«  scription.  I  had  no  allusion  to  the  sentiments  of  others.  If 
<^  I  were  in  your  situation,  it  is  probable  that  I  should  do  as 
«  you  do. 

«  I  think  the  justice  you  owe  your  family  in  an  expensive 
«<  situation,  demands  that  you  be  very  well  satisfied  with  the 
"  propriety  of  giving  up  the  chaplaincy  of  the  Fort,  as  long 
<^  as  it  is  agreeable  to  the  rules  of  the  service  that  you  should 
<i  retain  it ;  and  as  long  as  you  can  perform  the  service  it 
<<  requires  as  well  as  any  other. 

*<  Let  us  now  talk  on  the  subject  of  your  former  letter  a 
**  little. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  HI 

<<  I  think  you  speak  of  yourself  with  more  diffidence,  or 
♦«  rather  despondency,  than  you  ought.  How  do  you  know 
<«  that  your  Thursday  evening  lecture  is  not  the  most  useful 
^<  of  all  your  ministrations  ?  And  with  respect  to  industry, 
**  have  you  not  much  reason  to  be  thankful,  that,  after  a  ten 
«  years'  residence  in  this  deteriorating  country,  you  feel 
<•  yourself  so  much  alive  to  the  ministry  of  Christ  ?  And  is  it 
*<  not  another  reason  for  thankfulness,  that  you  have  been  pre- 
**  served  from  seeking  great  things  for  yourself?  I  think  you 
"  very  happy  indeed,  that  you  have  nothing  to  do  with  this 
**  world ;  but  that  your  chief  work  is  to  make  proof  of  your  mi- 
<<  nistry,  as  the  Lord  shall  prosper  it.  As  splendid  a  crown 
<^  awaits  him  who  shall  do  a  little  in  this  country,  as  him  who 
«« shall  do  much  at  home. 

<*  It  is  not  probable  that  you  or  I  shall  live  long.  What 
"  seek  we  then  ?  There  is  no  fame  for  us  here.  There  is 
"  some  reproach,  whether  we  be  faithful  or  not.  So  that 
*«  we  lose  nothing  by  being  faithful.  I  am  so  young  in  these 
*<  things,  that  I  do  not  know  any  thing  about  them.  I  have  only 
•'«  entered  the  wilderness.  But  I  apprehend  much,  I  would 
"  gladly  enter  Canaan,  without  encountering  <  the  greatness 
*<  of  the  way.'  Were  it  the  will  of  God,  and  were  he  to  give 
«  me  faith  and  strength  for  it,  I  would  to-morrow,  with  great 
"joy,  leave  this  world,  and  all  it  offers.  Were  I  sure  it 
''  would  not  entangle  and  destroy  me  at  last,  I  would  rather 
<^  stay  and  endeavour  to  do  something  for  God ;  but  I  am 
«  not  sure  of  that. 

<^  I  often  compare  myself,  in  my  present  exile,  to  John, 
"  in  the  island  of  Patmos.     Would  that,  like  him,  I  had  fi 
*«  nished  my  course,  and  had  only  to  contemplate  <  the  new 
<«  heavens  !'   But  I  am  a  stranger  to  suffering  '  for  the  word 
*<  of  God,  and  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ.' 

*^  I  sigh  much  for  that  singleness  of  mind  and  purity  of 
"  heart,  and  love  to  God,  which  distinguish  the  disciple  of 
^'  Christ.  And  I  often  wonder  whether  it  is  to  be  effected 
"  by  keen  affliction  in  body  and  spirit,  or  by  the  « power  of 
*^  the  word  of  God,  dividing  asunder  like  a  two-edged  sword.' 


112  MEMOIRS  OF 

♦*  or  by  long  fighting  and  sorrowful  experience  slowly  teuch- 
♦»  ing,  and  ending  with  a  doubt  whether  I  am  taught. 

«  Amidst  the  multitude  of  my  thoughts,  ♦  the  Lamb  that 
*«  was  slain'  is  my  only  hope  ! 


**  How  frequent  is  the  character  of  a  semi-serious  Christ- 
*<  ian  !  There  is  a  state,  in  whicli  some  have  been  held  for 
*^  many  years  :  a  state,  whose  nature  was  never  rightly  under- 
♦<  stood  by  those  around  them,  nor  by  themselves  ;  sometimes 
"  looking  to  the  word  of  God,  and  sometimes  to  the  world  ; 
<<  sometimes  animated  by  a  zeal  to  live  holily,  and  sometimes 
*<  sinking  under  a  particular  sin.  From  such  a  state  they 
"  have  at  length  emerged  ;  and  shone,  in  the  evening  of  life* 
*^  with  a  splendour  which  has  dazzled  all  around. 


^'  I  hope  that  Mrs.  Brown  is  in  good  health  and  spirits. 
*'  Buxtorf  came  safe  up  the  river.  I  am  sorry  to  find  that 
»<  that  silent  critic,  the  White  Ant,  has  perused  almost  every 
•'-page. 

«  I  remain,  dear  Sir, 

<<  Yours  very  affectionately, 

**  C.  Buchanan.*' 

The  preceding  letter  scarcely  requires  a  comment.  Who 
can  avoid  perceiving  in  it  evident  traces  of  a  generous,  a 
spiritual,  and  a  heavenly  mind  ?  Who  can  help  lamenting 
that  such  a  man  should  for  a  time  have  been  placed  in  cir- 
cumstances so  unfavourable  to  the  attainment  of  the  great 
object  which  he  had  in  view  in  accepting  an  appointment  in 
India  ;  or  indulging  a  hope,  that  a  time  would  come,  when 
the  Providence  of  God  would  open  to  him  a  way  to  greater 
exertions,  and  more  extensive  usefulness  ? 

Though  Mr.  Buchanan's  retirement  at  Barrackpore  did 
not,  however,  admit  of  very  active  employment  in  the  duties 
of  his  ministry,  it  afforded  him  a  valuable  opportunity  for 
private  study,  which  he  diligently  and  successfully  im- 
proved. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  113 

His  commonplace  books  at  this  period  evince  tlie  same 
iaiuUiblo  desire  of  increasing  his  store  of  useful  knowledge, 
which  we  have  already  witnessed.  Some  remarks  in  one  of 
them  prove  his  anxiety  to  fortify  himself  against  the  dangers 
of  worldly  society,  to  which  he  was  then  considerably  ex- 
posed, and  to  attain  the  important  art  of  living  <*  in  and  out 
«  of  the  world  at  the  same  time."  of  '*  using  this  world  as  not 
"  abusing  it."  Upon  this  point  he  quotes  a  passage  from 
Mr.  Addison,  which  appears  to  express  the  object  he  was 
himself  endeavouring  to  attain.  •*  We  shall  never  be  able," 
observes  that  sensible  and  elegant  writer,  *<  to  live  to  our 
"  satisfacti(m  in  the  deepcvst  retirement,  until  we  learn  to 
^'  live,  in  some  measure,  to  our  satisfaction,  amidst  the  noise 
<^and  business  of  life." 

Other  parts  of  the  same  book  contain  reflections  on  the 
Persian  language,  on  the  improvement  of  time,  on  the  value 
of  Christian  friendship,  on  purity  of  conscience,  on  the  pro- 
pagation of  the  Gospel,  and  on  the  happiness  of  heaven. 

The  following  extract  from  a  letter  to  Mr.  Henry  Thorn- 
ton, dated  the  25th  of  July  1797,  gives  a  pleasing  view  of 
one  important  branch  of  Mr.  Buchanan's  studies  at  Bar- 
j'ackpore. 

*«  As  the  friend  of  my  beginning  studies,  you  will  naturally 
*<  be  desirous  to  know  in  what  way  they  have  been  continued 
<<  since  my  arrival  in  India.  I  am  now^  proceeding  in  a 
•^  work  which  I  began  when  I  last  enjoyed  retirement,  namely, 
«  a  serious,  and.  I  may  say,  laborious  examination  of  the 
"  Scriptures  in  the  original  tongues.  My  enquiries  are  not 
'« so  much  philological,  as  practical.  The  meaning  of  the 
«  Holy  Spirit  in  Scripture  is  the  *  one  thing  needful'  for  the 
*<  student :  and  I  hope  it  will  be  the  subject  of  many  a  joy- 
*<  ful  £up)3Kot  to  me.  This  severity  of  investigation  reminds 
«  me  of  my  mathematical  vigils.  Some  have  considered 
^«  that  interval  at  college  as  the  most  useful  era  in  t!ie  history 
"  of  the  mind.  It  shews  what  powers  of  application  the 
<<  soul  possesses  on  a  subject  it  loves  ;  even  such  application 
"  as  Paul  recommends  to  Timothy,  who  was  engaged  in  my 
"  present  studies — h  r^ra^  'tTdt.     <  Exist,  or  live  in  them/ 


Ii4  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  This,  Sir,  is  a  climate  which  tries  the  mind  like  a  fur- 
"  nace.  Deterioration  seems  inherent  in  Indian  existence. 
"  Were  God  to  grant  me  a  peculiar  blessing,  it  would  be 
««  the  habit  of  industry  whilst  I  remain  in  this  country.  I 
**  have  observed,  in  reading  the  lives  of  the  good,  that  the 
fi  most  eminent  were  men  famed  for  their  industry.  I  have 
-^  observed  too,  that  few  of  them  had  to  encounter  what 
^^Boiieau  calls  the  dangerous  career  of  wit  and  genius. 
*<The  wisdom  of  God  is  shewn  in  choosing  for  them  that 
*<  disposition  of  mind  which  is  best  suited  to  a  sedulous  and 
*^  humble  perusal  of  his  eternal  word;  for  genius  hath  ever 
*«  been  a  foe  to  industry. 

<<  I  liave  a  Moonshee  in  the  house  to  instruct  me  in  the 
««  Hindostanee  and  Persian  languages.  Not  knowing  what 
"  may  be  the  purpose  of  God  concerning  me,  I  have  thought 
^<  it  my  duty  to  attend  early  to  the  languages  of  the  country ; 
<«  and  to  the  constitution  civil  and  religious  of  the  mixed 
<«  people  in  it.'' 

Amidst  this  diligent  improvement  of  his  retirement  at 
Barrackpore,  Mr.  Buchanan,  however,  entered  with  lively 
interest  into  every  thing  around  him  connected  with  real  re- 
ligion, and  embraced  with  much  warmth  of  feeling  every 
occasion  which  presented  itself,  either  of  kindness  or  of 
service. 

Of  this  the  following  extract  from  a  letter  to  a  lady  at 
Edinburgh,  on  the  death  of  her  son,  is  a  pleasing  and  satis- 
factory proof.  It  is  dated  from  Calcutta,  December  4,  1797,, 
and  was  enclosed  in  another,  in  which  she  was  kindly  re- 
quested, before  she  opened  it,  to  prepare  her  mind  for  intel- 
ligence whiclj  would  at  first  deeply  affect  her,  but  which  she 
would  afterwards  acknowledge  had  given  her  such  a  theme 
for  rejoicing  as  she  had  never  before  possessed. 

"  I  had  no  thoughts,"  Mr.  Buchanan  begins,  "  of  writing 
"  to  you  at  this  time  ;  but  I  have  news  for  you  from  heaven. 
«  Your  beloved  E.  has  <  fought  the  good  fight,  he  has  finished 
*<  his  course,  he  has  kept  the  faith.'  His  spirit  took  its  flight 
«  at  twelve  o'clock.  About  three  weeks  ago  he  visited  me 
<^  at  Barrackpore,  where  he  stayed  a  day  or  two.     He  wan 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  115 

*•  then  in  good  health.  Our  conversation  was  much  on  spiritual 
•*  subjects.  He  told  me  his  heart  felt  the  first  powerful  im- 
<^  pression  of  religion  when  on  liis  passage  to  this  country  5 
"  and  that  since  his  arrival,  God  had  been  very  gracious  to 
<«  him.  Finding  this  country  not  only  unfavourable  to  health. 
*<  but  to  holiness  of  life,  he  had  long  deliberated  whether  he 
^'  ought  not  to  return  to  Europe,  and  had  at  length  resolved 
"  to  do  so,  believing  it  to  be  the  will  of  God.  He  anticipated 
<*  the  joy  of  conversing  with  those  amongst  his  friends  at 
"  Edinburgh  who  knew  the  Lord,  and  wondered  that  he  had 
<<  not  <  made  more  of  them,'  while  among  them.  But  he  has 
»*  now  a  better  society. 

*«  Next  day  he  returned  to  Calcutta,  and  on  the  Sabbatlt 
*<  following  I  went  down  to  preach.  My  subject  was,  *  The 
*»  triumph  of  the  Christian  in  being  able  to  submit  his  soul  to 
"  the  darkest  dispensations  of  God.'  On  that  day  your  son 
•*  took  the  sacrament  for  the  second  time  in  tliis  country. 
*«  On  the  evening  of  the  same  day  the  Rev.  Mr.  Brown 
'*  preached,  <  On  the  consolations  of  the  soul  which  cordially 
»*  assents  to  being  justified  by  faith.'  This  was  the  last  ser- 
<«  mon  your  beloved  child  ever  heard  ;  and  he  told  me  it  was 
<<  sweet  to  the  ear,  and  inexpressibly  rich  to  his  soul.  On 
"  the  next  day  he  was  taken  ill.  Our  most  able  physician 
♦<  here,  Dr.  Hare  from  Edinburgh,  attended  him.  During 
*<  that  week  we  had  no  apprehensions  of  his  fever  being  dan- 
»*  gerous.  Before  my  return  to  Barrackpore  on  Monday 
'<  last,  I  passed  the  morning  with  him.  We  then  conceived 
*«  hopes  of  his  soon  being  well.  He  sat  by  me  on  the  sofa 
**  for  an  hour.  We  talked  about  his  passage  to  his  native 
♦*  country;  for  the  ship  was  now  reafily  to  sail — But  I  per- 
•'  ceived  that  his  mind  was  dwelling  on  his  passage  to  the 
*<  heavenly  country.  He  spoke  much  of  the  consolations 
•<  arising  from  converse  with  God  during  sickness.  *  How 
if  amazing  is  it,'  said  he,  '  that  the  Lord  should  have  called 
*<  me  to  such  knowledge  and  to  such  grace  before  I  die !  In- 
<«  dia  has  been  a  happy  land  to  me.'  When  I  left  him,  he 
"  said,  he  hoped  he  should  be  able  to  come  to  church  next 
*'  Sunday.     Not  hearing  from  his  brother  of  his  being  worse, 


116  MEMOIRS  OF 

**  I  did  not  return  to  Calcutta  tiJl  yesterday.  In  the  evening 
*<  I  preached,  but  did  not  see  him  in  his  usual  seat.  When 
«  I  called  this  morning,  I  found  that  he  had  just  entered 
f*  into  rest.  His  countenance  is  placid  and  serene  in  death, 
'<  like  the  state  of  his  mind  before  his  dissolution. 

"  Such,  my  dear  madam,  has  been  the  happy  death  of 
«« your  son.  You  are  a  happy  mother,  to  have  had  such  a 
**  son  !  He  has  left  a  noble  testimony  to  the  Gospel  in  this 
«  place ;  and  his  memory  will  be  long  cherished  by  many. 
"  His  brother  loved  him  affectionately,  and  is  inconsolable 
"  at  his  loss.  His  conversation  and  example  have  been  of 
*«  use  to  many.  He  preached  to  them  in  his  life,  and  he 
«  preached  to  them  by  his  death.  Admire  therefore  the 
"  dispensation  of  God  in  leading  him  to  this  country.  It 
««  was  not  for  evil,  but  for  much  good." 

Tuesday,  Dec.  5. 

"'  This  morning  at  eight  o'clock  I  committed  to  the  earth 
"^  the  remains  of  your  dear  son.  It  was  a  solemn  occasion. 
"  I  was  much  affected  at  seeing  so  many  persons  attend  it. 
"Most  of  them  were  only  acquainted  with  his  ciiaracter; 
*<  but  they  wished  to  shew  some  respect  to  the  memory  of 
"one  of  those  few  who  '  wear  white  garments  in  this  Sardis.' 
"The  Rev.  Mr.  Brown  was  chief  mourner ;  but  yet  he  re- 
«  joiced  that  the  Lord  had  lent  your  child  so  long  to  us,  and 
"  that  now  *  he  had  taken  him  from  the  evil  to  come,'  " 

The  strain  of  Christian  piety  and  consolation  which  per- 
vades the  foregoing  letter  must  be  obvious  to  every  one,  but 
will  be  best  appreciated  by  those  who  know  experimentally 
the  unspeakable  value  of  well-grounded  hopes  concerning  the 
future  happiness  of  those  wlio  were  dear  to  them  ;  more  par- 
ticularly, if  they  have  been  laken  from  them  in  a  distant 
land.  The  spirit  of  lively  faith  with  which  Mr.  Buchanan 
speaks  of  the  glorious  hope  of  the  Gospel,  is  strongly  charac- 
teristic of  his  mind  ;  and  may  serve  to  counterbalance  some 
less  cheerful  and  animating  views  respecting  himself,  which 
he  at  this  period  occasionally  expressed. 

Thus,  early  in  the  ensuing  year,  he  wrote  to  Mr.  Grant 
m  the  following  terms. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  Hy 

"  Calcutta,  6th  Feb.  1798. 

''  My  dear  Sir, 

**  I  have  now  been  near  a  year  in  this  country,  and  have 
<'  not  yet  had  the  satisfaction  of  hearing  from  you.  1  wish 
*<  to  know  what  you  think  of  my  voyage  to  the  East.  I  seem 
*•  to  have  come  out  under  rather  unfavourable  auspices. 
**  No  feature  of  my  mission  is  very  agreeable.  But  I  view 
*«  the  whole  as  the  counsel  of  the  Almighty ;  and  I  know  that 
'<  in  his  plan  there  is  great  beauty,  though  I  may  not  per- 
"  ceive  it. 

«« I  have  passed  this  last  year  in  military  society,  or  in 
*•'  solitude.  And  as  I  shall  shortly  be  stationed  up  the  coun- 
••  try,  I  cannot  expect  any  material  change  during  life.  But 
"  if  I  rightly  improve  the  opportunities  I  may  have,  I  shall 
*i  do  well.  What  1  lament  most  is  the  effect  this  inactive 
« life  has  on  my  mind.  You  will  not  be  surprised  if  both 
"  my  moral  and  intellectual  powers  suffer  by  it.  The  cli- 
"  mate  no  doubt  has  its  effect  in  this  hebetation  of  the  soul ; 
«*  and  I  hope  I  shall  recover  from  it  in  time. 

"  I  suffered  a  long  struggle  before  I  could  resign  myself 
•*  passively  to  my  unexpected  destination.  But  the  struggle 
"  is  now  over ;  and  I  view  myself  as  one  who  has  run  his 
^»  race ;  to  whom  little  more  is  left  to  do.  I  have  known 
*«  some,  who,  in  such  a  case,  would  have  extricated  them- 
<^  selves  with  violence,  and  sought  a  new  fortune  in  the 
<•  Gospel.  But  it  will  require  a  very  evident  interposition 
"  of  God  indeed  to  bring  me  out  of  this  Egypt,  now  that  he 
"  has  placed  me  in  it :  I  shall  esteem  myself  highly  favour- 
^*  ed,  if  I  be  enabled  to  pass  my  days  in  it,  with  a  pure 
**  conscience,  endeavouring  to  do  a  little,  where  much  cannot 
**  be  done. 

^«  I  take  the  liberty  of  enclosing  a  bill  for  fifty  pounds  for 
*•  my  mother ;  which  I  request  you  will  be  so  good  as  to 
••  send  to  her,  after  it  is  accepted. 

«•  I  beg  to  be  remembered  to  all  your  family,  and  to  Mr. 
*«  and  Mrs.  Thornton,  and  remain,  dear  Sir, 

•<  Yours,  with  much  respect  and  gratitude, 

•^  C.  Buchanan.*' 


118  MEMOIRS  OI* 

The  desponding  tenor  of  this  letter,  connected  as  it  is  with 
similar  expressions  in  some  others,  may  require  a  few  ex- 
planatory observations.  The  unfavourable  influence  of  the 
climate  upon  his  health,  to  which  Mr.  Buchanan  refers, 
must  evidently  be  considered  as  the  principal  cause  of  the 
depression  under  which  he  laboured.  He  was,  doubtless, 
disappointed  in  the  silence  and  obscurity  to  which  his  station 
at  Barrackpore  had  consigned  him,  and  which  he  imagined 
would  be  shortly  rendered  still  more  hopeless,  by  his  remo- 
val to  a  greater  distance  from  Calcutta,  in  the  interior  of 
the  country.  It  is  certain,  also,  that  he  felt  the  want  of 
sympathy  and  encouragement  from  some  of  his  friends  in 
England.  They  had  very  reasonably  formed  considerable 
expectations  of  his  exertions  to  promote  the  cause  of  religion 
in  India  ;  and  their  distance  from  the  scene  prevented  them 
from  being  fully  aware  of  the  circumstances  which  had  hith- 
erto retarded  them.  Yet  amidst  it  all,  his  calm  submission 
to  what  he  believed  to  be  the  will  of  God,  his  refusal  to  step 
beyond  the  prescribed  limits  of  his  duty  as  a  military  chap- 
lain, and  his  pious  reference  of  himself  and  his  services  to  the 
divine  disposal,  prove,  that  whatever  might  be  his  discour- 
agements, his  heart  was  "  right  with  God ;"  and  that  he 
was  faithfully  employing  the  «  talent"  at  that  time  commit- 
ted to  his  trust. 

The  history  of  Mr.  Buchanan's  first  appointment  in  India 
will  not  be  in  vain,  if  it  serve  to  check  in  any  who  may  be 
similarly  situated,  either  abroad  or  at  home,  the  too  natural 
disposition  to  despondency  or  haste  ;  and  to  lead  them,  in 
the  conscientious  improvement  of  present  oppDrtunities,  to 
wait  patiently  for  fartlier  openings,  and  in  the  mean  time  to 
«  hope  in  God  ;"  and  if  it  tend  to  abate  in  those  who  may  be 
observing  them  any  impatience  of  their  backwardness  in  ful- 
filling even  just  expectations  ;  and  to  teach  them  that  chari- 
ty, which,  concerning  the  substantially  pious  and  sincere, 
a  hopeth  all  things." 

In  the  month  of  July  following,  Mr.  Buchanan  wrote  to 
several  of  his  friends  by  the  overland  despatch.    In  one  of 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  II9 

these  letters  to  Mr.  Elliott,  of  Clapham,  he  informs  him  of 
the  arrival  of  his  son  at  Calcutta. 

Of  the  talents  and  extensive  acquirements,  the  splendid 
career  in  the  college  of  Fort  William,  shortly  afterwards  es- 
tahlished,  and  the  premature  and  lamented  death  of  this 
valuable  and  accomplished  young  man,  tlie  writer  of  these 
Memoirs  has  on  a  former  occasion  recorded  a  brief  account." 
In  again  mentioning  his  name,  he  does  it  chiefly  for  the  pur- 
pose of  illustrating  the  character  of  Mr.  Buchanan  ;  to  whose 
kindness,  counsels,  and  example,  he  was  eminently  indebted. 
To  his  father  Mr.  Buchanan  thus  writes. 

*«  Your  son  William  is  arrived.  I  had  long  looked  for  him, 
<«  as  for  a  brotlier.  He  resided  with  me  at  Barrackpore  for 
<*  two  months,  and  then  went  up  to  Malda,  where  he  now  is. 
*<  He  has  conducted  himself  with  much  propriety,  and  con- 
*•'  ciliated  the  favour  and  respect  of  many.  In  some  of  his 
"  anticipations  he  was  sanguine  and  incorrect  ,•  but  his  good 
*'  sense  gradually  removed  the  veil,  and  discovered  things  in 
<«  the  right  point  of  view ;  and  I  think  he  has  now  formed 
<'  a  very  tolerable  estimate  of  India,  and  of  his  situation 
*^  in  it.  Government  was  at  first  disposed  to  place  him  at 
'«  Calcutta.  This  would  have  deranged  all  your  and  my 
"  plans  concerning  him.  I  do  not  live  at  Calcutta.  He 
<'  would  have  been  obliged  to  keep  house  by  l.imself ;  for 
"  there  is  no  private  family  that  would  receive  him  ;  and  the 
<^  expense  would  have  been  so  great,  that  all  his  prudence 
<«  could  not  easily  save  liim  from  debt.  Another  evil  of  that 
"  situation  is  the  ensnaring  society.  The  young  men  live 
«'  by  themselves,  as  at  college.  Such  a  society  has  proved 
«  instant  death  to  the  virtue  of  many.  After  two  or  three 
<<  years,  I  shall  have  less  objection  to  his  residence  in 
"  Calcutta.  He  will  then  have  more  fortitude  and  more 
"money,  worse  health,  and  lower  spirits. 

*<  I  was  happy  to  observe  that  William's  mind  was  not  in- 
*< jured  by  the  infidel  conversation  on  board  ship.  It  led 
<*  him  however  to  tnquire.     And  he  was  a  good  deal  surpri- 

a  See  Dissertation  on  the  Promotion  of  Christianity  in  India,  p.  14L 


|;^0  MEMOIRS  OF 

••  sed  at  the  volume  of  evidence  lor  the  truth  of  Christianity, 
**  which  he  found  at  Barrackpore.  While  with  me  he  made 
*«  rapid  pro,^ress  in  Persian ;  and  was  laying  deep  ])lans 
•»  for  the  attainment  of  general  knowledge.  I  had  a  letter 
«  from  him  this  morning.  He  is  well  and  happy.  I  wished 
*<  him  to  consider  Malda  as  a  retirement,  to  be  consecrated, 
»« like  college,  to  the  improvement  of  his  mind.  As  jet  he 
"  is  well  pleased  with  the  idea.  He  complains  that  business 
"  usurps  much  time.  But  so  he  attain  the  habit  of  industry 
*^  in  this  indolent  climate,  I  care  not  whether  it  be  by  busi- 
•'<  ness  or  study.  Jin  active  mind,  if  it  be  a  virtuous  one,Jinds 
•<  time  for  evertj  thing, 

*«  He  speaks  of  his  father  with  much  affection.  Write 
'*  often  to  him.  A  father's  letter  is  very  seasonable  in  this 
^«  country.  He  begins  well ;  he  far  surpasses  my  sanguine 
"expectations.  But  he  has  only  begun.  He  was  surprised 
"to  find  eight  weekly  newspapers  here,  together  with  libra- 
"  ries  and  learned  men.  Unfortunately,  there  are  no  classi- 
« cal  folks  at  Malda.  William's  Latin  and  Greek  are 
"  therefore  in  danger.  He  is  already  sensible  of  this  ;  and 
<^  begins  to  think  that  I  was  right  in  proposing  to  task  him. 
<«  He  is  much  attached  to  one  mode  of  mental  improvement,-*- 
«« the  committing  to  writing  useful  observations.  He  has  ran^ 
«<  sacked  many  of  my  commonplace-books  to  enrich  his  own. 
"  The  only  annual  investment  of  books  you  need  send  him,  will 
"be  the  Reviews;  all  of  which  will  be  acceptable.  Adieu." 

Were  it  consistent  with  the  plan  of  this  narrative,  several 
letters  might  here  be  introduced  from  Mr.  William  Elliott, 
which  illustrate  in  a  very  jdeasing  manner  the  advantages 
he  derived  from  the  advice  and  assistance  of  Mr.  Buchanan 
in  his  classical  and  orie»itai  studies ;  and  above  all,  in  cher- 
ishing those  religious  views  which  after  no  long  interval  he 
found  to  be  alone  supremely  valuable.  It  is  probable,  from 
Mr.  Buchanan's  extensive  correspondence  with  young  men 
in  India,  that  many  others  enjoyed  similar  benefits  from  his 
friendly  counsel, 

A  few  of  the  preceding  observations  may  perhaps  be  no 
longer  applicable  to  the  circumstances  of  the  junior  servants 


DR^^UCHANAN.  121 

of  the  East  India  Company  in  Calcutta,  in  consequence  of 
the  salutary  changes  introduced  not  long  afterAvards  by  the 
institution  of  the  College  of  Fort  William  :  but  the  almost 
paternal  anxiety  displayed  by  the  writer  for  the  welfare  and 
improvement  of  iiis  young  friend,  and  the  practical  wisd(;m 
of  his  suggestions,  will  be  not  uninteresting  to  tliose  who 
may  be  connected,  like  his  correspondent,  with  India. 

To  Mr.  Newton,  Mr.  Buchanan  wrote  by  the  same  des- 
patch as  follows. 

"  I  hope,  my  dear  Sir,  that  you  have  received  many  let- 
<«  ters  from  me  since  my  arrival  here,  for  I  have  written 
<*  many.  You  are  the  only  person  who  has  written  regularly 
<«  to  me  since  I  left  England.  Your  last,  dated  2nd  Oct, 
<<  1797,  gave  me  much  information,  pleasure,  and  comfort. 
<<  I  have  now  been  a  year  and  a  half  in  India,  and  have  not 
<*  yet  engaged  in  the  ministry ;»  and  I  know  not  when  1 
"  shall.  At  present,  indeed,  I  should  scarcely  be  able,  were 
^*  I  called  to  it.  The  oppression  on  my  chest  is  so  great, 
<•  and  my  breathing  so  quick,  that  I  cannot  speak  audibly 
<' in  conversation  but  with  difficulty.  And  the  total  relaxa- 
**tion  of  my  frame,  and  my  inability  to  sit  up  long,  admonish 
<^  me  that  I  am  not  intended  for  long  service.  Two  fevers 
*<  since  my  arrival  have  no  doubt  had  some  effect  in  weak- 
"  ening  me.  But  I  do  not  attribute  my  present  illness  to 
**  India.  I  can  trace  my  pectoral  weakness  to  midnight 
"study  at  college.  But  lam  thankful  that  I  am  without 
**  actual  pain.  I  can  think  and  write  a  little  for  two  or  three 
<«  hours  every  morning.  Perhaps  I  may  be  restored.  Per- 
<»  haps  *  my  mouth  may  yet  be  opened  to  speak  his  praise.' 

*«  Will  you  write  a  note  to  Mr.  Storry,  of  Colchester,  men- 
*«  tioning  the  following  particulars  ?  John  Gale,  lately  a 
^<  private  in  the  king's  service,  was  executed  here  for  the 
<'  murder  of  a  woman  and  her  child.  But  though  he  suffered 
<'  the  death  of  a  felon,  he  died  in  the  faith  of  Christ.  He 
<*  was  just  twenty -two  years  of  age,  being  executed  on  his 
«  birth-day.     He  could  not  read,  and  had  only  three  days' 


*  Evidently  meaning,  not  statedly. 


^ 


ISS  MEMOIRS /OF 

**  instruction  from  Mr.  Brown  and  myself.  It  revived  our 
'*  spirits  to  beliold  the  power  of  the  Gospel  thus  displayed  in 
*»  this  barren  land.  On  the  morning  of  his  execution,  he  re- 
*<  quested  me  to  acquaint  Mr.  Storry  with  the  circumstances 
^<  of  his  happy  death.  His  parents  are  liearers  of  Mr. 
•<  Storry;  and  he  will  be  the  fittest  hearer  of  these  tidings. 

*«  How  is  Dr.  Fearon  ?  My  dear  Feaji'on,  how  are  you  ? 
•»  You  cannot  easily  imagine  how  gratifying  your  letter  was 
"  to  me.  I  received  it  on  a  sick-bed  ;  and  had  not  seen  the 
'*  face  of  a  Christian  for  a  month  before.  A  Hindoo,  who 
'•  worships  an  idol  with  an  elephant's  head,  read  it  to  me 
*•'  three  times.  I  suppose  the  Frencli  have  not  restored  my 
"  answer  to  it.  My  frequent  indispositions  have  prevented 
<«  me  hitherto  from  writing  so  much  as  I  wish.  But  as  I 
**  consider  that  all  my  letters  to  Mr.  Newton  are  letters  to 
*«  you,  I  conceive  myself  to  have  written  to  you  a  great 
"  deal.  Remember  me,  as  you  ought,  to  every  member  of 
i«  your  family ;  and  write  me  such  another  letter  as  you 
'«  wrote  me  last,  ifymi  are  ahUy 

The  serious  indisposition  of  Mr.  Buchanan,  as  affecting 
his  capacities  of  usefulness,  is  distinctly  marked  in  this 
last  letter,  as  well  as  the  expression  of  his  hope  of  future 
service. 

The  narrative  respecting  the  unhappy  soldier,  though  ne- 
cessarily brief,  from  the  narrow  limits  of  an  overland  des- 
patch, ought  not,  on  that  account,  to  be  viewed  with  suspi- 
cion. The  character  both  of  Mr.  Brown  and  Mr.  Bucljanan 
forbids  the  supposition  that  tliey  liad  formed  a  hasty  judg- 
ment of  this  remarkable  case ;  and  though  false  hopes  have 
not  unfrequently  been  cherished  upon  similar  melancholy 
occasions,  yet  why  should  we  limit  the  mercies  of  the  Most 
High,  or  doubt  the  saving  efficacy  of  faith  in  the  Redeemer, 
even  under  circumstances  apparently  desperate  ?  It  seems 
probable  too,  from  the  introduction  of  the  late  Mr.  Storry's 
name,  that  the  unfortunate  young  man  in  question  had  re- 
ceived in  very  early  life  some  salutary  instructions  from  the 
ministry  of  that  excellent  man  ;  which,  though  long  forgot- 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  123 

ten,  mij^'ht  have  been  remembered  and  confirmed  to  his 
everlastini?  benefit,  in  the  hour  of  extremity. 

Under  the  same  cover,  Mr.  Buchanan  wrote  sliortly  to 
Mr.  Grant  to  the  following  effect. 

"  Lord  Mornington  lias  been  here  near  six  weeks.  As 
"  yet,  he  maintains  much  dignity  in  his  government.  He 
*f  goes  regularly  to  church,  and  professes  a  regard  for  reli- 
<«  gion.  He  has  been  at  Barrackpore  for  ten  days  past.  He 
*f  was  surprised  when  I  told  him  that  we  never  had  divine 
*'  service  there,  or  at  any  other  station.  He  was  still  more 
'<  surprised  when  he  heard  there  were  horse-races  here  on 
<«  Sunday  morning. 

if  The  apostolic  Obeck  is  well,  and  affectionately  remem- 
«  hers  all  your  family.  He  succeeds  to  Swartz  in  the  title 
<»  to  our  reverence  and  esteem.  Remember  me  to  Mr. 
»«  Thornton,  the  friend  of  my  studies." 

Mr.  Obeck,  thus  favourably  introduced,  and  whose  name 
frequently  occurs  in  Mr.  Buchanan's  letters,  was  a  native  of 
Germany,  for  many  years  employed  as  steward  in  Mr. 
Grant's  family,  during  his  residence  in  India.  The  piety 
and  fidelity  of  this  good  man  were  rewarded  by  the  liberal 
support  and  friendly  regard  of  his  patron  to  the  day  of  his 
death. 

The  packet  from  which  the  preceding  extracts  are  taken, 
contained  a  fourth  letter  to  Mr.  Simeon,  of  Cambridge,  part 
of  which  is  as  follows. 

«  I  thought  to  have  passed  my  life  near  you  ;  but — ^thus  it 
<<  is.  You  first,  I  think,  proposed  a  voyage  to  me.  But  you 
"  did  not  mean  to  consign  me  to  silence,  or  to  a  camp !  We 
"  may  yet  see  the  wisdom  of  God  in  shewing  me  a  path 
"  through  the  mighty  waters.  As  my  health  returns,  my 
<^  services  may  be  called  for. 

«  Remember  me  to  Mrs.  B.  She  alone  opposed  my  coming 
<<  to  India.  Tell  her  not  to  triumph.  She  has  not  seen  to 
«  the  end,^' 

Three  months  after  the  despatch  just  detailed,  Mr.  Bu- 
chanan again  wrote  at  some  length  to  Mr.  Newton.  In  the 
former  part  of  his  letter,  he  repeats  with  some  additional 


124<  MEMOIRS  OF 

circumstances  what  lie  had  before  communicated  respecting 
his  situation  and  prospects,  chiefly  with  a  view  to  convince 
his  friends  in  England,  that  however  desirous  he  might  be 
of  more  effective  services  in  the  ministry,  the  attempt  was 
at  that  time  impracticable.     In  jiroof  of  tiiis  he  mentions, 
that  before  Sir  John  Shore,  now  Lord  Teignmouth,  left  In- 
dia, Mr.  Brown  procured  an  Order  of  Council,  that  the 
military  in  tlie  garrison  should  attend  at  the  Presidency 
church  every  Sunday  morning  at  six  o'clock,  there  being  no 
chapel  or  service  in  the  garrison  itself.     Strong  opposition 
was  made  to  this  order,  on  the  ground,  that  the  troops  would 
suffer  in  their  health  by  marching  in  the  sun.     They  atten- 
ded a  few  Sundays ;  but  at  last  the  clamour  became  so  vio- 
lent, that  the  order  was  revoked,  and  the  triumph  over  reli- 
gion considered  complete.     Mr.  Buchanan  states  this  cir- 
cumstance in  order  to  shew  how  unavailing  any  transfer  of 
the  chaplaincy  of  the  garrison  to  himself,  could  it  with  pro- 
priety have  been  effected,  would  have  proved  as  to  the  great 
object  of  his  increased  usefulness.     He  adds,  however,  that 
when  he  was  in  Calcutta  on  a  Sunday,  he  usually  performed 
service  at  the  hospital ;  where,  though  there  was  no  regular 
audience,  there  was  always  a  succession  of  hearers.    It  ap- 
pears also  by  this  letter,  tliat  as  Mr.  Buchanan  had  no  im- 
mediate prospect  of  being  himself  placed  in  Calcutta,  he 
was  endeavouring,  and  with  some  success,  to  improve  the 
religious  views  of  one  of  the  chaplains  of  the  Presidency, 
who  seemed  desirous  of  discharging  his  duty  with  fidelity. 

<<  My  health,"  he  observes,  «  is  somewhat  improved  since 
«  my  last.  I  have  been  recommended  to  take  much  gentle 
«  exercise.  I  think  I  never  can  be  strong  ;  but  regular  and 
«  easy  employment,  and  Christian  society,  may  do  a  great 
««  deal ;  first  to  my  spirits,  and  then  to  my  health." 

Mr.  Buchanan  next  adverts  to  the  Baptist  missionaries, 
Messrs.  Thomas  and  Carey.  Of  the  latter  he  speaks  in 
terms  of  much  commendation.  His  own  expectations  re- 
specting the  conversion  of  the  Hindoos  were,  at  this  period, 
hy  no  means  sanguine.  Of  Mr.  Carey,  therefore,  he  re- 
marks, that  he  was  then  chiefly  employed  in  laying  the 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  1^5 

foundation  of  future  usefulness.  <«  He  is,"  says  Mr.  Buchan- 
an, "  translating  the  Bible  into  the  Bengal  tongue^  This, 
<^  like  Wickliflf's  first  translation,  may  prove  the  father  of 
'*  many  versions."  How  extensively  this  anticipation  has 
been  realized,  it  would  be  unnecessary  to  interrupt  this  nar- 
rative particularly  to  state. 

"  But,"  continues  Mr.  Buchanan,  "  a  rapid  spread  of  the 
<«  Gospel  is  not  to  be  expected  in  India.  You  have  heard 
<<  that  Mr.  Swartz  was  useful  in  tlie  southern  part  of  Hin- 
«  dostan.  It  is  true.  But  Mr.  Swartz  entered  upon  the 
"  labours  of  others.  The  Gospel  has  been  preached  in  that 
"  quarter  for  near  a  hundred  years  past.  We  may  begin 
<«  here  now,  as  the  Danes  began  there  a  century  ago.  Zeal 
^«  and  labour,  and  the  lapse  of  years,  will  no  doubt  produce 
"  the  usual  fruit.  In  the  revolution  of  this  century,  the 
<<  <  dawn'  of  the  Gospel  has  appeared  in  India.  After  many 
<<  centuries  have  revolved,  there  may  be  a  general  light. 

"  But  I  wish  not  that  any  prudential  considerations  from 
*«  what  has  been,  or  from  what  may  probabUj  be,  should  check 
"  the  missionary  ardour  of  the  day.  Nothing  great  since 
<«  the  beginning  of  the  world  has  been  done,  it  is  said,  with 
"  out  enthusiasm.  I  am,  therefore,  well  pleased  to  see  mul- 
<^  titudes  of  serious  persons*,  big  with  liope,  and  apt  to  com- 
«*  municate  ;  for  I  think  it  will  further  the  Gospel.  Instead 
•^  of  thirty  missionaries,  I  wish  they  could  transport  three 
"  hundred.  They  can  do  little  harm,  and  may  do  some 
<«  good.  But  let  them  send  as  many  children  as  possible,  or 
«  those  who  may  have  cliildren.  They  will  do  more  good  by 
*^  and  by  than  their  parents.  No  man  turned  of  thirty  can 
"  learn  to  speak  a  new  language  well.  No  Englishman 
"  turned  of  twenty,  who  is  only  acquainted  with  the  labials 
*'  and  dentals  of  his  mother  tongue,  can  ever  acquire  an  easy 
"  and  natural  use  of  the  nasals  and  gutturals  of  the  Bengal 
"  language.  Send,  therefore,  old  men  to  take  care  of  the 
«  morals  of  the  young ;  and  send  the  young  to  convert  the 
«<  heathen." 

a  This  probably  referred  to  the  lyjndcn  Missioiinrv  So'-ietv. 


126  MEMOIRS  OF 

Though  the  progressive  observations  and  experience  of 
Mr.  Buchanan  in  some  measure  modified  his  sentiments 
upon  the  important  points  noticed  in  the  preceding  extract, 
his  remarks  are  perhaps  substantially  true.  But  this  is  a 
subject  which  will  hereafter  be  more  fully  considered.  A 
few  other  sentences  from  this  letter  seem  to  be  worth 
adding. 

"  Mr.  Elliott  will  be  glad  to  hear  that  William  is  well.  I 
«  have  a  letter  from  him  almost  every  week.  He  sends  me 
<*  down  presents  of  peacocks  and  monkies,  silk  coverlets,  and 
"  fine  cossahs.  I  liear  that  Mr.  Udney  reposes  much  confi- 
«  dence  in  him.  Every  body  must  like  him,  for  he  has  what 
^*  few  here  have,  <  fine  spirits  and  a  good  temper.' 

*«  Mr.  Swartz,  the  apostle  of  the  east,  is  dead.  I  wrote 
*'  him  a  Latin  letter  a  short  time  before  his  death.  I  wished 
*<  to  write  his  life,  but  they  refuse  to  send  me  materials^ 
<<  Have  you  heard  of  the  ancient  Obeck,  in  Calcutta?  Mr. 
<<  Grant  will  tell  you  about  him.  Mr.  Obeck  in  Calcutta  is 
«  like  Lot  in  Sodom.  I  asked  him  one  day,  if  he  could  pro- 
<«  duce  ten  righteous  to  save  the  city  ?  He  said,  he  was  not 
"  sure  he  could  produce  ten,  but  thought  he  could  produce 
«  five." 

It  cannot  be  doubted  that  both  these  excellent  men  par- 
took too  largely  of  the  spirit  of  the  prophet,  who  thought  that 
he  was  the  only  true  worshipper  of  Jehovah,  in  a  corrupt  and 
degenerate  age.  It  is  at  least  certain,  that  Calcutta  has 
added  greatly,  within  the  last  few  years,  to  tlie  number  of 
its  «  righteous'  inhabitants ;  and  not  a  few^  in  consequence  of 
the  labours  and  example  of  the  subject  of  these  Memoirs. 

<*  My  last  fever,"  Mr.  Buchanan  continues,  ^<  produced  a 
**  deafness,  which  is  not  yet  gone.  It  is  very  inconvenient 
<«  to  me  ;  and  Dr.  Hare  says  that  it  may  remain  a  long  time. 
*«  The  schoolmen  say,  the  loss  of  all  the  senses  is  death.  By 
« the  loss  of  hearing,  I  certainly  feel  the  loss  of  the  fifth 
•<  part  of  life.  When  nature  takes  away  one  sense,  they  say, 

»  Some  years  afterwards  Mr.  Buchanan  procured  the  documents  he  at  this  time 
requested ;  though  other  circumstances  prevented  him  from  making  use  of  them  as 
he  had  intended. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  1^7 

»*  she  adds  to  the  rest.  But  when  disease  takes  away  one, 
*<  it  injures  the  rest.  At  least  I  think  so.  I  feel  that  a  sense 
<«  of  infirmity  cows  the  mental  powers,  and  thereby  hinders 
« their  exertion. 

"  When  you  see  Mr.  Thornton,  tell  him  I  often  think  that 
•<  he  has  great  need  of  faith  to  believe  the  Scripture,  which 
<«  says, «  Cast  thy  bread  upon  the  waters,  and  thou  shalt  find 
"  it  after  many  days.'  Many  days  have  elapsed,  and  yet 
"the  bread  he  threw  to  me  is  not  returned.    Adieu. 

"  C.  Buchanan.'* 

The  admirable  friend  and  patron  to  whom  Mr.  Buchanan 
thus  alludes,  w^as  the  reverse  of  any  thing  impatient  or  un- 
reasonable in  his  expectations  from  others  ;  and  his  habit  of 
scattering  his  beneficence  widely  and  liberally  was  combi- 
ned with  a  spirit  of  faith  which  could  wait  long  for  the  promi- 
sed  fruit,  and  in  many  cases  be  satisfied  with  leaving  his 
various  work  with  God.  In  the  present  instance,  however, 
he  lived  to  reap,  after  "  not  many  days,"  a  rich  rew^ard  of 
his  labour. 

In  writing  to  Mr.  Grant,  in  January  1799,  tlie  following 
passage  occurs,  which,  though  brief,  shews  both  Mr.  Bu- 
chanan's anxiety  to  promote  the  interests  of  religion  in  In- 
dia, and  his  lively  satisfaction  at  any  public  regulations 
which  promised  to  be  auxiliary  to  that  important  object. 

'^  I  wrote  to  Mr.  H.  Thornton  by  the  Montrose,  on  the  8th 
<«  instant.  In  that  letter  I  ventured  to  say  in  what  way  you 
"  might  probably  be  of  service  to  us  here.  But  you  will 
*«  be  the  best  judge  of  the  propriety  of  the  measure  ;  though 
"  perhaps  circumstances  have  now  a  complexion  rather  dif- 
«'  ferent  from  what  they  had  when  you  left  the  country. 

"  Your  moral  regulations  of  May  last  are  come";  and  not 
"before  they  were  wanted;  they  have  been  just  published^ 
"  and  are  well  received.  I  ought  not  to  say  published.  Lord 
"  M.'s  delicacy  induced  him  to  communicate  them  by  circu- 
"  lar  letter.  They  ought  to  have  been  proclaimed  from  the 
"  house-top.*' 

*  Referring  chiefly  to  a  proclamation  against  Sunday  horse-racins;,  and  to  the 
erection  of  chapels  at  some  of  the  military  stations. 


i2S  MEMOIRS  OF 

The  next  paragraph  refers  to  a  melancholy  scene  which 
had  then  recently  taken  place  in  India. 

"I  suppose  you  have  already  heard  of  the  massacre  at 
"  Benares.  C'lerry,  Graham,  Hill,  Evans,  and  Conway, 
«  are,  I  think,  the  names  of  the  Europeans  murdered.  Vi- 
«  zier  Ally,  the  perpetrator,  is  not  yet  taken.  Mr.  Davis 
"  defended  himself  for  an  hour  in  a  narrow  stair-case.  Mrs. 
<<  Davis  loaded  his  pistols  behind  him.  He  killed  two  or 
"  three  of  the  assassins,  and  the  rest  fled  on  the  approach  of 
<<  the  military.  Mrs.  Robinson  and  Miss  D'Aguilar  had  hid 
*'  themselves  in  an  outhouse." 

Mr.  Buchanan's  acquaintance  with  some  of  the  literary 
natives  of  India  appears  from  the  following  Introduction  of 
one  of  them  to  Mr.  Grant. 

"  Barrackpore,  28th  Jan.  1799. 

«  Dear  Sir, 

"  I  wrote  to  you  a  few  days  ago  by  one  of  the  regular 
•^  ships.  I  now  write  to  introduce  to  you  Aboo  Talib  Khan. 
<«  He  is  a  Mussulman  of  some  consideration  among  his  coun- 
^<  trymen,  and  of  some  eminence  among  the  Persian  literati. 
<^  You  may  possibly  have  seen  him,  as  he  was  well  known 
^'  to  Lord  Cornwallis.  He  goes  to  England  for  the  purpose 
^<  of  giving  his  son  an  English  education.  And  he  is  in 
«^  hopes  that  he  will  be  assisted  by  his  India  friends  in  pro- 
**  moting  this  purpose. 

*^He  is  desirous  to  inspect  the  Arab-^  "  '^  t'sian  MSS. 
"in  the  Universities.  I  have  given  hih.  _  ^^  of  introduc- 
"tion  to  some  gentlemen  at  Cambridge.  Ho  has  written, 
"  in  the  Persian  language,  a  geographical  work,  a  critique 
<<  on  Persian  poetry,  and  biographical  sketches  on  eminent 
,<<  poets. 

'^  He  may  probably  be  competent  to  superintend  your  new 
^(  Museum  for  Oriental  Literature  in  Leadenhall-Street. 
«  As  his  circumstances  are  slender,  he  may  be  induced  to 
*f  offer  his  services  for  a  pecuniary  consideration,  in  any  way 
^*  that  may  be  proposed. 


BR.  BUCHANAN.  1^9 

«•  I  do  not  myself  know  Aboo,  but  1  am  intimately  ac- 
*•  quainted  with  some  of  his  literary  friends." 

On  the  1st  of  FebriiaiT  following,  Mr.  Buchanan,  after 
informing  Mr.  Elliott  of  the  arrival  of  his  eldest  son  in  In- 
dia, thus  intimates  the  commencement  of  the  system,  which 
the  Governor  General  was  now  contemplating  with  respect 
to  the  junior  servants  of  the  Company. 

"  Lord  Mornington  aids  us  here.  He  no  longer  leaves  it 
''  at  the  option  of  the  young  men,  whether  they  will  study 
*f  or  not.  An  examination  at  the  expiration  of  three  years 
f<  hence  is  to  decide  on  all  pretensions  to  new  appoint- 
**  ments. 

«  I  hope  you  received  the  letter  in  which  I  expressed  a 
<«  wish  that  you  would  send  me  out  all  the  periodical  works 
« issued  in  the  style  of  literary  reviews.  These  are  neces- 
*'  sary  for  me.  Without  them  I  know  not  what  hooks  to  or- 
"  der  for  this  country.  I  am  constantly  applied  to  by  fami- 
« lies,  religious,  moral,  and  dissipated,  to  name  books  for 
<«  them.  I  have  already  inundated  them  with  Barruel,  Pa- 
*Mey,  Watson,  Wilberforce,  and  the  Pursuits  of  Literature. 
<«  I  sit  here  in  secret,  and  do  what  I  can.  A  few  of  the  re- 
f<  views  will  not  do;  but  all  will  tell  me  the  truth.  Watch 
•'«  the  press  for  me.  You  cannot  do  me  a  greater  favour;  or 
••  perhaps  your  sons  here  more  good.  I  want  both  annual 
**  reviews  from  1789,  the  era  of  the  new  philosophy  in  opera- 
"  tion.  Taylor's  sermons,  supposed  to  be  written  or  revi- 
«'  sed  by  Johnson,  send  me  ;  though  perhaps  they  are  but 
"  '  nugce  canorce.'    I  have  not  seen  them." 

A  few  days  after  the  date  of  the  preceding  letter,  he 
wrote  at  considerable  length  to  one  of  his  Cambridge 
friends,  upon  a  variety  of  topics  connected  with  their  mu- 
tual pursuits,  and  interspersed  with  remarks  on  India. 
This  letter  exhibits  the  impressive  sense  which  the  writer 
entertained  of  the  paramount  importance  of  Christianity, 
and  of  the  duty  of  active  exertions  to  promote  the  moral  and 
religious  welfare  of  mankind  on  the  part  of  himself,  and  such 
men  as  the  college  friends  to  whom  he  refers.  Many  of  his 
observations  display  both  acuteness  and  elevation  of  thought. 


130  MEMOIRS  OF 

and  much  knowledge  of  the  world.  A  few  of  Iheni  relating 
to  the  state  of  religion  both  in  India  and  England  were,  per- 
haps, even  then  somewhat  Ijarsh  and  dogmatical ;  hut  it  is 
extremely  difficult  in  the  present  day  to  ajjpreciate  the  just- 
ness of  such  remarks,  so  great  has  been  the  moral  cliangc 
in  both  countries  since  that  period.  The  tendency,  how- 
ever, of  the  whole  is  obviously  useful. 

"Cnlcutta/Febrnary -i,  iryy." 

After  rallying  his  friend  on  his  remaining  at  college  in- 
stead of  marrying,  he  expresses  himself  thus.  *<  A  man  ad- 
"  vances,  perhaps,  till  he  becomes  Bachelor  of  Arts  ;  but 
"  after  that,  he  is  retrograde  for  ever.  Is  not  this  generally 
*«true  ?  You  may  perhaps  continue  to  advance  in  verbiage^ 
»«  but  you  will  go  back  in  life.  Your  endeavours  to  fulfil  the 
•<  great  purposes  for  which  you  were  sent  into  the  world  will 
<•'  grow  daily  more  feeble,  and  your  view  of  those  purposes 
"  will  at  length  be  utterly  lost."  ^  *  ^  <*  But  whither  then 
*<  shall  we  go,  if  you  divorce  us  from  our  learned  ease  ? 
*«  Why,  go  to  London.  Take  a  curacy,  or  take  a  chapeL 
••  Call  forth  your  learning  and  put  your  eloquence  to  use. 
<*  Sluice  the  fountain  so  long  embanked  at  college  stagnant 
^«  and  green,  and  permit  the  waters  to  rush  abroad^  to  fer 
*•'  tilize  many  a  plant  and  gladden  the  vale.  Go  forth  and 
"  stem  the  torrent  (jf  infidelity  with  a  resistless  eloquence  ; 
^«  and  let  mc  hear  your  voice  on  the  banks  of  the  Ganges. 
«'  To  what  purpose  have  you  laboured  at  Quinctilian,  if  you 
*•'  do  not  now  lift  up  your  voice  and  proclaim  the  glad  tidings 
"  of  the  everlasting  Gospel  ?  -^  *  *  At  present  i  see  you  and 
'«  D.  lisping  with  pebbles  in  your  mouths  on  the  banks  of  the 
'<  Cam.  But  I  hope  one  day  to  hear  your  thunder  from  the 
«  rostrum.  I  hope  to  sec  you  *  wielding  at  will'  your  awful 
"  assemblies,  and  exciting  them  with  a  more  than  Demos- 
«<  thenic  power  to  resist  the  invading  foe,  the  New^  Pbiloso- 
"  phy.  I  hope  to  sec  you  do  more.  In  the  more  grateful  and 
«<  copious  manner  of  the  Roman  orator,  you  will,  like  scribes 
"  well  instructed  in  the  kingdom,  bring  forth  things  new 
«'  and  old  to  confirm  the  believing,  convince  the  doubtful,  and 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  13 L 

«  heal  the  wounded  spirit ;  ever  displaying  this  your  great 
<«  and  endless  theme,  the  power  of  grace  in  awakening  to 
"life  the  torpid  soul;  and,  in  your  previous  studies,  ever 
"  sitting  by  the  fountain  of  truth,  wjjyjj  peasrx  7rei'%ui,  that 
<<  *  fountain  flowing  with  persuasives,'  the  Bible  ;  so  will 
«  your  orations  have  less  of  the  lamp,  and  more  of  tliat 
<<  heavenly  lire,  which  alone  can  make  them  profitable  to 
«  your  hearers. 

«*  How  astonished  you  will  be  that  my  first  pages  to 
"  you  from  Milton's  «  remote  Bengala'  should  be  on  such 
«  subjects  as  these  !  You,  no  doubt,  expected  to  hear 

"  Of  moving  accidents,  by  flood  and  field  ; 
*'  And  of  the  cannibals  that  each  otiier  eat, 
*'  The  Anthropophagi- — 

<<  But  I  have  not  patience  with  all  tliese  subjects.  \'ou  must 
«  send  out  some  of  those  fellows,  who  can  write  a  tour 
**  through  Wales,  or  Gogmagog  Hills.  They  will  so  astonish 
*<  you  !  Besides  I  am  not  v.  riting  to  freshmen.  I  am  wri- 
<«  ting  to  the  learned.  And  all  the  mirahilia  I  could  describe 
"  to  you  are  already  described  in  Queen's  college  library. 
<«  But  I  must  make  some  allowance  for  the  different  eftects  of 
"  an  absolute  and  a  partial  view  of  things.  The  truth  is, 
«  that  the  traveller  who  sees  new  things  evQvy  day,  sees  new 
"  things  with  indifference.  The  passion  of  curiosity  is  so 
«  constantly  excited,  that  it  loses  its  power.  The  <  nit  ad- 
«  rnn'an'  seizes  us  much  sooner  with  respect  to  objects  of 
"  sense  than  objects  of  reflection.  Besides,  where  all  is  new, 
"  the  mind  knows  not  where  to  rest.  It  cannot  embrace  all, 
"  and  it  studies  none.  This  is  particularly  the  case  with 
<«  many  young  men  just  arrived  in  India.  They  are  wonder- 
♦*  struck  ;  they  suffer  a  kind  of  mental  paroxysm ;  they  ask 
«  questions  for  a  while;  but  they  find  there  is  no  end  of  sub- 
**jects  of  wonder;  and  at  length  they  are  tired  with  won- 
«  dering.  The  man  of  reflection  will  examine  tliese  subjects 
^^  at  his  leisure,  but  the  e*  ttoxxo)  would  no  longer  wonder, 
<«  if  the  moon  were  to  fall ;  they  would  suppose  it  was  the 
«<  way  with  the  Bengal  moons. 


13$g  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  The  most  useful  lesson  I  have  learnt  from  travel  is,  that 
*'  the  world,  or  all  that  is  in  it,  cannot  satisfy  the  soul  of 
*^  man.  Many  years  ago,  my  chief  ambition,  as  you  know, 
<*  was  to  make  the  tour  of  Europe.  But  liow  little  does  this 
««idea  appear!  As  a  village  is  the  world  to  a  child,  soEu- 
^»  rope  was  the  world  to  me.  But  Europe  is  now  become 
*•'  a  village ;  and  the  globe  itself,  which  seems  to  have  re- 
♦*  volved  under  my  eye,  has  no  longer  its  former  extent, 
**  novelty,  or  importance.  My  ambition  seeks  now  to  explore 
*•  new  worlds.  And  were  the  fJeity  to  gratify  my  wish, 
*'  and  to  permit  me  to  traverse  tlie  planetary  globes  around 
«*us,  yet  how  circumscribed  would  be  my  view,  how  limited 
*^  my  knowledge  !  Tlie  solar  system  is  but  a  point  in  the 
*•'  universe  !  What  then  is  natural  knowledge  ?  Like  space 
<<  it  has  no  limit.  Let  us  return  then  to  our  village,  and 
«  view  its  inhabitant  5 

"  His  knowledge  suited  to  his  state  and  place, 
*'  His  lime,  a  moment ;  tind  a  point,  his  space. 

^*  And  this  is  equally  true,  whether  you  live  but  a  few  years, 
*«  confined  to  your  native  spot,  or  live  three  ages,  and  tra- 
»^  verse  the  world  around. 

'*  This  thought  casts  a  transient  gloom  over  science  and 
^*  all  human  knowledge.  It  is  confined  and  uncertain,  and 
"  therefore  unsatisfying.  It  is  now  that  the  mind  turns 
'<  with  pleasure  from  the  works  of  God  to  his  Word.  The 
«« works  of  God  indet;d  declare  his  glory ;  but  the  mind  can- 
<'not  comprehend  them,  nor  be  satisfied  with  surveying 
"them.  But  the  Word  of  God  quenches  the  thirst.  It  is 
"  that  fountain  which  can  alone  satisfy  the  capacious  soul  of 
<«  man. 

•^  Tf  -Jf  Tp  -JP 

"  Infidelity  raged  here  with  great  violence  formerly,  but 
^^  it  is  rather  on  the  defensive  now.  It  was  fashionable  for  a 
♦«  time  to  allege  that  oriental  research  was  not  favourable 
«  to  the  truth  of  Christianity ;  but  the  contrary  is  found  to 
*•  be  the  case.  As  far  as  my  own  enquiries  have  gone,  I 
«  can  truly  say,  « I  have  seen  the  star,  and  worshipped  in 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  133 

*^  the  East.'     In  the  study  of  eastern  history  and  learning, 
^«  there  is  endless  proof  of  the  truth  of  both  the  Old  and 

<<  New  Testaments. 

#  ^     #     #     # 

»« I  suppose  you  have  heard  of  the  grandeur  of  English 
"life  in  India.  To  live  in  the  first  circle  in  India  is  to  live 
**  at  court.  There  is  nearly  the  same  dignity  of  etiquette, 
<*  elegance  of  equipage,  and  variety  of  entertainment.  Every 
*«  lady  is  handed  to  table  according  to  her  rank ;  and — no 
^*  grace  is  said. 

"  What  chiefly  astonishes  an  Englishman  (I  should  have 
*•  said  a  Scotchman)  is  the  profusion  of  meat  on  the  tables. 
*^We  sit  down  to  hecatombsean  feasts.  But  you  will  not 
<*  wonder  at  this,  wh«n  you  hear  that  the  price  of  a  sheep  is 
*•  but  half-a-crown.  We  have  no  drinking  here ;  no  Bac- 
<^  chanalian  feasts.  Wine  is  a  drug.  Wherever  we  go,  we 
*<  expect  to  find  what  we  have  at  home,  plenty  of  Claret  and 
*«  Madeira  ;  and  he  who  would  think  it  a  compliment  to  urge 
<<  another  to  drink,  would  be  accounted  a  vulgar  fellow, 
'« just  imported  from  a  military  mess-room,  or  a  literary  com- 
*^  bination-room. 

«*  Must  I  say  something  of  the  natives  ?  Their  general 
^*  character  is  imbecility  of  body,  and  imbecility  of  mind. 
*<  Their  moral  powers  are  and  have  been  for  ages  in  a  pro- 
*^  found  stupor;  and  there  is  seldom  an  instance  of  their  be- 
"  ing  awakened.  A  partial  attempt,  or  rather  experiment, 
"  is  now  making  on  them  by  some  Christian  teachers.  The 
"  Hindoo  mind  seems  at  present  to  be  bound  by  a  Satanic 
"  spell ;  and  it  will  require  the  cooperation  of  a  more  than 
<<  human  power  to  break  it.  But  divine  cooperation  implies 
<•  human  endeavour.  Many  ages  must  then  elapse  before 
"  the  conversion  of  India  is  accomplished. 

"  With  respect  to  moral  action,  the  Hindoos  pay  as  little 
"attention  to  their  own  religion  as  a  rule  of  life,  as  the 
«  English  do  to  theirs.*  Your  profession  of  the  Christian 
ti  religion  is  a  proverbial  jest  throughout  the  world. 

#  #     #     *     # 

«  The  Hindoo  is  born  blind ;  but  you  put  out  your  own 
"  eyes.     Loose  principles  and  sensual  indulgence  first  dims 


134  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  them,  and  then  the  <  drop  serene'  of  the  new  philosophy 
«  quenches  the  orb. 

«  A  residence  in  this  country  adds  much  to  the  personal 
«  dignity  of  the  European.  Here  the  labour  of  a  multitude 
"is  demanded  for  the  comfort  of  one  :  and  it  is  not  so  much 
•<  demanded  as  voluntarily  given.  In  no  other  country  can 
»^  we  so  well  see  the  homage  which  matter  gives  to  mind. 
«<  Generally,  however,  it  is  but  the  homage  which  black  pays 
if  to  white.  This  is  the  grand  argument  for  keeping  the 
^<  Hindoos  in  a  state  of  mental  depression.  The  hyperborean 
"<  Scotchman,  broiling  under  a  perpendicular  sun,  needs 
*«  some  levamina  laborum;  and  the  state  of  the  Hindoo  minds 
•'<  is  admirably  calculated  to  take  care  of  our  bodies. 

«  You  know  the  character  of  the  Hindoo  superstition.     It 

*(  is  lascivious  and  bloody.     I  know  no  epithet  that  embra- 

/  <«  ces  so  much  of  it  as  either  of  these  two.  Of  the  first  I  shall 

<*  say  nothing :  I  shall  not   pollute  the  page  with  a  descrip- 

**  tion  of  their  caprine  orgies  in  the  interior  of  their  temples, 

«  nor  the  emblems  engraved  on  the  exterior. 

/    "  Their  scenes  of  blood  are  not  less  revolting  to  the  hu- 

/"  man  mind.     Human  sacrifice  is  not  quite  abolished.     The 

N« burning  of  women  is  common;  I  have  witnessed  it  more 

**  than  once. 

«  This  power  of  self-sacrifice  is  given  them  from  insensi- 
"bility  of  mind,  and  from  that  alone.  Just  as  a  child  may 
«  be  persuaded  to  plunge  into  danger  which  infant  reason 
»<  cannot  see,  so  the  Hindoo,  of  childish  capacity,  is  persua- 
^<  ded  to  destroy  his  existence  ;  he  views  neither  death  nor 
"  life  in  their  true  light. 

'  ••  All  comparison,  therefore,  between  the  fortitude  of  the 
<«  Christian  martyr  and  the  madness  of  the  Hindoo  is  nuga- 
•<  tory  and  absurd. 

^  ^  ^  •5r  ^ 

^*  What  are  your  studies  now  ?  They  have  long  been 
'*  general;  I  hope  they  are  now  particular.  I  expect  soon 
*•  to  sec  your  name  and  D — 's  to  some  useful  publication.  I 
«  pray  you,  support  the  author  of  the  Pursuits  of  Literature 
**  in  his  work :  you  are  both  able.  Only  conceive  some  grand 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  l3g 

••  design,  some  one  purpose  ;  collect  your  powers  to  it,  and 
"  you  will  execute  it.*  You  remember  the  Johnsonian  apho- 
<*  rism:  *  Whatever  a  man  is  able  to  conceive  fully,  he  will 
*<  by  patience  and  labour  execute  well.* 


•<  What  is  T —  of  Sidney  doing  ?  Does  he  reap  the  fruit  of 
<•  our  Hebrew  and  Italian  hours  ?  Has  he  published  any 
"  thing  since  his  Academical  Contributions?  The  metaphy- 
"  sical  T — !  I  never  knew  so  grave  a  speculatist  have  such 
*<  fine  affections  :  but  they  had  no  object  tlien.  1  was  once 
*'  afraid  that  he  would  prove  to  be  of  Godwin's  school.  But 
*•  1  can  easily  believe  that  his  marriage  has  prevented  it. 
*«  Marriage  and  its  accompanying  joys  and  sorrows  have 
*«  cured  many  a  theorist. 

"  There  is  no  harmony  among  the  mental  powers,  no  con- 
«  sistency  of  purpose,  no  solace  in  life,  till  the  affections  are 
"  moved.  Some  find  another  object  to  move  them  than  mar- 
**  riage ;  but  rarely.  Plato  says  that  there  are  not  many 
*<  such  objects.     St.  Paul  says  that  there  is  one, 

^         Tp         ^         w         ^ 

•<  I  wish  not  to  see  any  of  you  engage  in  general  or  specu- 
«  lative  subjects  at  this  time  ;  nor  even  in  useful  works,  slow 
"  in  operation.  This  is  the  moment  for  urgent  and  direct 
^<  attack.  We  have  had  too  many  books  of  late,  addressed  to 
<*  the  Infidels  in  the  style  of  alterative.  In  your  academical 
« laboratory  have  you  not  some  *  strong  purgative  drug  to 
"  scour  these  French?' 

<•  The  truth  is,  we  have  acted  too  long  on  the  defensive  : 
*«  let  us  now  act  on  the  oifensive.  Infidelity  cannot  bear  to 
"  be  attacked.  It  can  annoy  by  stratagem  and  Parthian 
**  dexterity  ;  but  it  cannot  shew  a  resolute  front.  '  Resist 
"  the  devil,  and  he  will  flee  from  you  !' — Keep  close  to  the 
"  Greek  originals  of  the  Socratic  and  Apostolic  school,  and 
"  you  may  fight  a  host  of  these  lank  sickly  giants,  forced 
"  by  the  compost  of  this  vapouring  age. 


136  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  Have  you  no  MSS.  of  your  own  composition  to  send  me  ? 
«^  I  am  desirous  to  see  you,  and  I  can't  see  you  in  a  letter.  I 
"  am  anxious  for  your  fame.  I  have  seen  you  run  the  circle 
*<  of  the  sciences  with  eclat.  And  I  now  wish  to  know  what 
« you  are  going  to  rfo."     #    #    #    * 

Some  hints  in  the  preceding  letter  respecting  marriage^ 
as  well  as  tlie  general  character  of  Mr.  Buchanan,  lead  us 
to  expect  that  he  was  by  no  means  indifferent  to  that  sub- 
ject. He  had  hitherto  been  too  much  occupied  with  study, 
and  with  his  entrance  upon  his  professional  career,  to  in- 
dulge any  thoughts  respecting  it ;  but  his  affectionate  and 
social  disposition,  and  the  comparative  solitude  in  which  he 
was  compelled  to  live,  convinced  him  of  the  expediency  of 
entering  into  the  married  state.  This  important  change 
in  his  condition  took  place  on  the  3rd  of  April  1799 ;  on 
which  day  Mr.  Buchanan  married  Miss  Mary  Whish,  third 
daughter  of  the  Rev.  Richard  Whish,  then  rector  of  North- 
wold  in  Norfolk. 

Upon  this  interesting  event,  it  may  be  best  to  allow  Mr. 
Buchanan  to  speak,  as  usual,  for  himself.  He  thus  writes 
to  Mr.  Newton  about  two  months  after  his  marriage. 

"  Miss  Mary  Whish,  and  her  elder  sister,"  (afterwards 
married  to  Major  Prole,)  "came  out  to  India  about  five 
«  months  ago,  with  their  aunt  Mrs.  Sandys,  wife  of  Captain 
<<  Sandys,  commissary  of  stores  in  Calcutta.  The  younger 
<*  of  these  ladies  was  so  much  disgusted  with  the  dissipa- 
<«  tion  of  India,  that  she  would  gladly  have  returned  single 
«  to  England.  I  did  not  see  her  till  two  months  after  I>er 
«'  arrival.  But  we  had  not  been  long  acquainted  before  she 
«  confessed,  that  she  had  found  a  friend  who  could  reconcile 
"  her  to  India.  I  did  not  expect  that  I  should  have  ever 
"  found  in  this  country  a  young  woman  whom  I  could  so 
«  much  approve.  Mrs.  Buchanan  is  not  yet  nineteen.  She 
<<  has  had  a  very  proper  education  for  my  wife.  She  has  do- 
<<  cility  of  disposition,  sweetness  of  temper,  and  a  strong  pas- 
«<  sion  for  retired  life. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  I37 

*♦  She  is  religious  as  far  as  her  knowledi^e  goes,  and  her 
**  knowledge  is  as  great  as  I  suppose  yours  or  mine  was  at 
**  her  age.  Our  marriage  was  sanctioned  by  the  approbation 
^•' of  all  who  knew  her,  and  who  knew  mo. 

<*  I  have  now  been  married  two  months,  and  every  sue- 
•<  cessive  day  adds  something  to  confirm  the  felicity  of  my 
**  choice,  and  the  goodness  of  God  in  directing  it. 

**Mrs.  Buchanan  has  read  many  of  your  letters  tome, 
'^  and  hopes  you  will  mention  her  name  in  your  next.  She 
«  is  now  reading  the  «  Christian  character  exemplified,' 
"  published  by  you,  and  aspires  to  the  spirit  and  piety  of  the 
*<  lady  whose  character  it  is. 

"  1  still  reside  at  Barrackpore,  where  it  is  now^  probable 
"I  shall  remain  some  years.  But  I  must  take  no  thought 
"  for  to-morrow.  Years,  days,  and  hours  are  not  mine. 
«  Moments,  how  sacred  !" 

In  replying  to  some  enquiries  of  his  correspondent,  Mr. 
Buchanan  proceeds  to  mention,  what  in  the  prospect  of  con- 
tinuing at  Barrackpore  must  have  been  peculiarly  painful  to 
him,  that  it  was  thought  no  chapel  would  be  built  there, 
under  the  new  arrangement  relative  to  that  subject,  as  no 
European  regiment  was  at  any  time  ordered  to  that  station. 
Under  these  circumstances  he  mentions  that  he  was  anxious 
to  take  every  opportunity  of  assisting  Mr.  Brown  at  Cal- 
cutta 5  and  adds,  that  he  had  successfully  laboured  to  pro- 
mote a  good  understanding  betw  een  him  and  his  colleague, 
and  to  remove  some  prejudices  which  had  previously  existed 
against  him  and  the  ministrations  at  the  mission  church. 
He  then  continues  as  follows. 

"You  will  have  heard  by  this  time  the  fate  of  the  expedi- 
«  tion  to  Otaheite.  The  missionaries,  banished  by  the  na- 
"  tives,  fled  to  Botany  Bay.  One  of  them,  I  hear,  is  lately 
<•'  arrived  in  Calcutta,  from  Port  Jackson.  I  hope  this  south- 
"  sea  scheme  will  not  discourage  the  missionary  societies. 
<<They  have  done  no  harm  :  and  if  they  send  out  their  next 
"  mission  with  less  carnal  eclat,  and  more  Moravian  diffi- 
'<  dence  they  may  perhaps  do  some  good.     Their  chief  fault 


188  MEMOIRS  OF 

*•'  was  in  the  selection  of  the  men.     It  appears,  that  most  of 
"  them  were  weak,  and  most  of  them  novices. 

**  Lord  Mornington  is  taking  measures  to  send  home  all 
"  Frenchmen  and  repuhlicans.  I  was  applied  to  lately  in 
**a  kind  of  official  way,  to  give  some  account  of  the  Baptist 
"  missionaries.  It  was  asked.  What  was  tlieir  ohject  r 
••  How  supported  ?  Whether  they  were  not  of  republican 
^«  principles  ?  As  I  had  some  good  data  for  speaking  favour- 
^«  ably  of  Mr.  Carey,  I  confined  myself  to  him.  I  stated  the 
"origin  of  the  Tranquebar  mission,  and  its  success  under 
«^  Swartz,  and  I  represented  Carey  as  endeavouring  to  do 
"in  Bengal  what  Swartz  did  in  the  Deccan.  He  called 
"  upon  me  lately  in  his  way  to  Calcutta.  He  considers 
"  himself  as  sowing  a  seed,  which  haply  may  grow  up  and 
^«  bear  fruit.  He  is  prosecuting  his  translation  of  the  Scrip- 
**  tures.  This  is  a  good  work.  It  will  be  useful  to  those  Hin- 
"  doos  who  are  somewhat  influenced  by  Christian  instruc 
*^  tion,  and  particularly  useful  to  Hindoo  children  brought 
"  up  in  Christian  schools.  I  told  Mr.  Carey,  that  I  thought 
*<  he  could  not  employ  his  time  better  than  in  translating 
"the  Scriptures.  I  explained  to  him,  from  sources  with 
"  wiiich  he  seemed  unacquainted,  tlie  plan  and  progress  of 
^<  the  Tamulian  Scriptures,  and  the  circumstances  attending 
"the  publication. 

"  And  now,  my  dear  Sir,  pray  for  us.  Under  my  Mary's 
"  care,  I  improve  in  health  and  spirits," 

The  hint  which  Mr.  Buchanan  suggested  in  the  preceding 
letter,  as  to  the  too  confident  spirit  with  which  some  mission- 
ary plans  had  been  undertaken,  and  as  to  one  of  the  prin- 
cipal causes  of  their  failure,  will  be  generally  acknowledged 
to  have  been  dictated  by  the  soundest  judgment. 

In  the  autumn  of  this  year,  Mr.  Buchanan  informed  Mr. 
Grant  that  he  had  been  recommended  to  accept  a  vacant 
chaplaincy  at  Bombay.  "  Being  altogether  ignorant,"  says 
he,  "of  the  particulars,  I  wrote  to  Mr.  Fawcett,  the  ac- 
"  countant  general  there,  (who  wishes  me  to  go,)  to  explain 
"fully  to  me  the  nature  of  the  situation.  If  it  be  the  first 
"  chaplaincy  to  the   Presidency,  I   shall   accept   it."     He 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  I39 

adds  ;  <•  There  is  to  be  a  relief  of  staff  this  ensuing  Novem- 
*'  ber.     Wliether  1  shall  be  included  in  it,  I  know  not." 

It  is  probable  that  Mr.  Buchanan's  enquiry  respecting 
the  chaplaincy  at  Bombay  proved  unsatisfactory.  However 
this  may  have  been,  the  providence  of  God  shortly  aftei-- 
wards  introduced  him  to  a  sphere  of  labour  in  Calcutta, 
which  was  equally  adapted  to  his  talents  and  his  wishes. 
Towards  the  close  of  the  year.  Lord  Mornington  appointed 
him  a  third  chaplain  to  the  Presidency,  and  he  immediately 
entered  upon  the  duties  of  that  office. 

One  of  the  earliest  occasions  of  public  service,  to  which 
Mr.  Buchanan  was  called  after  this  appointment,  was  in 
February  1800  ;  when  he  preached  a  sermon  at  the  new 
church,  before  Lord  Mornington  and  the  principal  officers  of 
the  government,  on  the  day  appointed  for  **  a  general  thanks- 
*<  giving,  for  the  late  signal  successes  obtained  by  the  naval 
*<  and  military  forces  of  his  Majesty  and  of  his  Allies  ;  and 
<*  for  the  ultimate  and  happy  establishment  of  the  tranquil- 
<<  lity  and  security  of  the  British  jjossessions  in  India." 

This  sermon  was  so  highly  approved,  that  Mr.  Buchanan 
received  the  thanks  of  the  Governor  General  in  Council, 
with  a  direction,  that  it  should  be  printed  ;  and  it  was  un- 
doubtedly a  production  which  well  deserved  that  honour.  It 
was  founded  on  the  11th  verse  of  the  21st  Psalm  ;  "  For  they 
"intended  mischief  against  Thee;  and  imagined  such  a 
<'  device,  as  they  are  not  able  to  perform  :"  and  contains  a 
luminous  and  impressive  view  of  the  principles,  progress, 
and  effects  of  the  new  French  philosophy,  to  which  Mr.  Bu- 
chanan justly  attributed  the  awful  struggle  in  which  this 
country  was  then  engaged.  This  important  subject  has 
since  received  such  ample  discussion  and  illustration,  that  it 
is  happily  no  longer  necessary  to  dwell  upon  it.  The  fol- 
lowing passages  from  Mr.  Buchanan's  discourse  may,  how- 
ever, with  propriety  be  extracted,  in  proof  of  the  ability  and 
judgment,  as  well  as  the  piety,  of  its  author. 

«  The  contest  in  which  our  country   has  been  so  long  en 
••'  gaged  hath,  in  one  particular,  been  of  essential  service  to 
'*  to  her.  It  hath  excited  a  greater  respect  for  Christian  in- 


140  MEMOIRS  OF 

**  vstitutions  and  Christian  principles.  A  long  period  of  in- 
"  ternal  tranquillity  and  security  had  induced  an  indifference 
<<  about  relig-ion,  which  was  rapidly  gaining  ground,  and 
<^  was  making  room  for  that  infidelity  which  our  enemies 
'•  wished  to  suhstitute.  But  the  critical  situation  in  which 
**  the  nation  was  placed,  and  the  dangers  that  threatened 
^f  her,  led  men  to  review  their  principles,  and  to  consider 
"  seriously  by  what  means  she  might  be  saved.  Hence  there 
'<  is  now  a  growing  regard  for  Christian  ordinances.  There 
"  is  now  a  more  general  acknowledgment  of  the  providence 
«  of  God  ;  more  attention  is  paid  to  moral  character ;  more 
^'  care  is  taken  in  forming  the  minds  of  youth  ;  and  more 
•<  ample  means  of  instruction  are  afforded  to  the  common 
^«  people. 

<*  In  the  anxiety  that  prevails  in  the  mother-country  about 
**  the  principles  of  all  who  are  connected  with  her,  she  will 
♦•  naturally  be  interested  to  know  what  is  the  state  of  reli- 
*<  gion  amongst  us,  *  How,'  she  will  ask,  *  amidst  all  this  re- 
«  volution  of  opinion  and  practice  which  agitates  the  world, 
<«  is  that  distant  society  affected  ?  Are  they  altogether  free 
"  from  infidel  principles  ?  And  does  the  public  spirit  of  the 
"  people  shew  itself  in  combating  these  principles,  and  in 
'«  maintaining  a  respect  for  Christian  institutions?' 

<*  However  this  subject  might  have  been  overlooked  in 
•«  the  infancy  of  our  settlements,  it  becomes  now  a  matter  of 
<«  public  consequence.  The  importance  we  are  daily  acqui- 
"  ring  in  the  eyes  of  tlie  world,  and  the  destructive  effects  of 
"  irreligion  in  other  countries,  make  it  proper  that  we  should 
"  shew  that  we  yet  profess  the  faith  of  our  country,  and 
*<  that  we  are  yet  willing  to  be  accounted  a  Christian  com- 
"  munity. 

"  On  this  subject  we  think  there  can  be  but  one  senti- 
"  ment.  Men  of  sense  and  of  responsible  situation,  who  love 
*•  their  country,  and  who  know  the  danger  of  the  new  prin- 
«  ciples,  will  not,  we  are  persuaded,  be  averse  to  shew  this 
"  countenance  to  the  ChrivStian  religion.  Such  example  is  of 
*<  the  more  consequence,  on  account  of  the  great  number  of 
<<  young    persons   who   are   yearly   added  to  our  soGietv. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  141 

<^  These  persons  are  denied  those  opportunities  of  instruc- 
"  tion  they  enjoyed  at  home  ;  and  they  arrive  at  so  early  an 
*«  age,  that,  in  general,  their  principles  are  formed  and  fix- 
*«  ed  here*  And  when  it  is  considered  that  they  are  here- 
**  after  to  fill  the  offices  in  the  government  of  the  country, 
**  and  are  to  be  themselves  the  guardians  of  the  public  prin- 
<<  ciples,  it  will  certainly  appear  of  consequence,  that  their 
**  minds  should  be  impressed  with  a  respect  for  those  reli- 
**  gious  and  moral  observances,  on  which  the  future  safety 
*<  and  happiness  of  the  country  depend." 

a  —  Scepticism  and  infidelity  are  not  now  so  well  re^ 
**  ceived  in  society  as  they  once  were.  It  was  formerly 
**  thought  a  mark  of  superior  understanding  to  profess  infi> 
<«  delity.  It  was  thought  a  proof  of  some  learning  to  think 
<«  differently  from  others  on  religious  subjects. 

"  But  we  have  now  seen,  that  the  most  illiterate  and  most 
^*  abandoned  of  the  human  race  can  be  infidels. 

<*  We  have  also  seen,  that  there  is  no  superstition  more 
*•  irrational  in  its  eff*ecls,  no  fanaticism  more  degrading  t© 
♦*  the  human  mind,  than  the  fanaticism  of  infidelity. 

"  We  have  further  seen  the  moral  effects  of  infidelity  ; 
*'  effects  flowing  directly  from  it,  acknowledging  no  other 
"  source.  And  after  what  we  have  seen  of  these  effects,  we 
"  think  no  man  can  add  to  his  respectability  in  society, 
«  either  for  understanding  or  for  moral  character,  by  avow- 
"  ing  himself  to  be  an  advocate  for  infidelity.'* 

a  —  But  we  trust  that  the  great  body  of  our  society  is  yet 
<<  animated  by  Christian  principles,  and  that  they  are  ready 
"  to  make  common  cause  with  their  country  in  defending 
"  these  principles  to  the  uttermost. 

«  Some  will  doubt,  and  some  will  disbelieve,  but  it  is  an 
*<  eternal  truth,  that  the  Christian  religion  is  the  rock  on 
*'  which  rests  our  existence  as  a  civilized  nation  ;  on  which 
«•  rest  our  social  blessings,  and  our  individual  happiness. 
«<  Take  aw^ay  this  rock,  and  you  give  your  country  to  con- 
«  vulsion  and  endless  disgrace.  Built  on  this  rock,  she 
<«  hath  withstood  the  violence  of  the  storms  that  have  so  long 
"assailed  her.     Secure   and  tranquil  in  the  midst  of  the 


142  MEMOIRS  OF 

•«  tempest,  she  stands  at  this  hour  firm  and  impregnable^ 
<<  while  those  who  built  on  the  <  sands  of  infidelity,'  have 
•«  been  overthrown.'* 

Copies  of  Mr.  Buchanan's  thanksgiving  sermon  were  dis- 
tributed by  order  of  government  in  every  ])art  of  British 
India,  and  sent  home  to  the  Directors  of  the  East  India 
Company. 

^'  You  may  easily  conceive,"  says  Mr.  Buchanan,  writing 
to  a  friend  in  England,  well  acquainted  with  the  prevalence 
of  sceptical  principles  at  that  period  in  India,  *<  the  aston* 
"  ishment  of  men  at  these  religious  proceedings.  However, 
<^  all  was  silence  and  decent  acquiescence.  It  became  fa- 
<*  shionable  to  say,  that  religion  was  a  very  proper  thing, 
<<  that  no  civilized  state  could  subsist  without  it ;  and  it  was 
*•  reckoned  much  the  same  thing  to  praise  the  French,  as  to 
<«  praise  infidelity." 

The  importance  of  this  public  recognition  of  Christianity 
as  the  only  basis  of  civil  prosperity,  was  soon  perceived  in 
the  increasing  attention  to  personal  religion. 

"  Our  Christian  society,"  adds  Mr.  Buchanan  to  the  same 
fi'iend,  "  flourishes.  Merit  is  patronized,  immoral  charac- 
**  ters  are  marked;  and  young  men  of  good  inclinations  have 
"  the  best  opportunities  of  improvement."  • 

The  same  happy  elFects  were  thus  distinctly  stated  by 
Mr.  Brown,  in  a  memorial  on  the  general  state  of  society  in 
Calcutta,  drawn  up  some  years  afterwards,  for  the  informa- 
tion of  the  Society  for  promoting  Christian  Knowledge. 

"  These  solemn  acts,"  observes  that  excellent  man,  <*  and 
<^  the  public  thanksgivings,  which  took  place  for  the  first 
**  time  under  Marquis  Wellesley's  government,  awakened  a 
«  religious  sense  of  things  in  many  ;  and  led  to  an  open  and 
"  general  acknowledgment  of  the  divine  Providence,*  which 
"  has  been  highly  beneficial  to  the  interests  of  true  religion 
«  and  virtue." 

On  Mr.  Buchanan's  removal  to  Calcutta,  he  t!»us  resumed 
the  account  of  his  studies  and  proceedings,  in  a  letter  to  Mn 
Henrv  Thornton. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  I43 

*•  The  plan  of  study  I  formed  about  two  years  and  a  half 
**  ago  has  not  suffered  any  material  alteration  since.  I  soon, 
•^  however,  discovered  the  small  value  of  the  Persian  and 
*<  Hindostanee  languages  to  me,  and  was  contented  with  a  su- 
*«  perficial  acquaintance  with  them.  My  scriptural  studies 
<•  I  pursue  with  my  first  purpose,  and  I  hope  I  shall  conti- 
<(  nue  to  pursue  them  to  the  day  of  my  death.  My  general 
'«  studies  have  been  much  diversified  by  correspondence  in 
*<  different  parts  of  India,  on  subjects  classical,  mathema- 
"  tical,  and  theological.  The  latter  has  been  the  most  labo- 
♦*  rious  and  generally  the  most  pleasant.  This  subject  is 
'«  often  forced  upon  me.  But  I  have  seldom  permitted  my- 
*«  self  to  defend  Christianity.  I  have  usually  acted  on  the 
•<  offensive,  and  attacked  infidelity.  This  is  a  very  unplea- 
"  sant  mode  to  the  infidel.  During  tlie  last  year  I  received 
"  many  anonymous  letters,  particularly  from  young  per- 
*«sons,  on  polemical  divinity;  but  the  correspondence  has 
<^  generally  ended  in  real  names.  In  consequence,  I  am 
••  often  applied  to  for  books,  and  have  expended  much  in 
••'  purchasing  valuable  works  at  our  dear  market.  Small  re- 
•^  ligious  tracts  are  of  little  service  to  those  with  whom  I 
*<  have  to  do. 

«•  My  public  ministrations  have  been  rare,  but  perhaps 
••  not  so  rare  as  from  my  situation  might  be  expected.  Of 
*«  the  three  years  I  have  been  in  India,  including  the  num- 
«<  her  of  times  I  ijave  officiated  at  the  hospital  in  Calcutta, 
'•  and  in  my  own  liouse  at  Barrackpore,  I  have  preached  on 
••'  an  average  once  a  fortnight. 

"  My  great  alHiction  since  I  came  to  India  has  been  bad 
"health,  I  feel  a  languor  of  constitution,  and  a  difficulty  of 
•«  respiration,  which  no  medical  aid  has  yet  been  able  to  re- 
<•'  move.  This  I  sometimes  think  has  taken  away  one  half 
••'  of  t)je  energy  and  usefulness  I  might  have  preserved  or 
»•  acquired  in  a  cooler  region.  But  this  also  is  the  dispen- 
*•  sation  of  God ;  and  it  has  added  to  me  that^  which  else- 


here  I  miirht  not  have  found. 


In  a  letter,  liowever,  to  Mr.  Newton  about  the  same  time, 
Mr.  Buchanan  observes,  **  I  have  enjoyed  better  health  this 


144  MEMOIRS  OF 

<«  year  than  in   any  former ;  and  I  trust  that  I  shall  be 
f<  strengthened  and  spared  for  some  service." 

During  the  first  six  months  of  the  year  1800,  the  plan  of  a 
collegiate  institution  had  been  formed  by  Lord  Mornington, 
(who,  in  consequence  of  the  splendid  success  of  his  policy  in 
the  Mysore,  had  been  created  Marquis  Wellesley,)  for  the 
purpose  of  promoting  the  literary  improvement  of  the  young- 
er civil  servants  of  the  Company.  This  important  mea- 
sure, in  the  arrangement  and  conduct  of  which  Mr.  Buchan- 
an was  so  essentially  concerned,  he  thus  mentioned  in  the 
month  of  June  in  a  letter  to  Mr.  Grant. 

<«  Lord  Wellesley  is  at  present  engaged  in  founding  a  col- 
<<  lege  for  the  instruction  of  the  young  civil  servants  in  the 
'f  eastern  literature  and  general  learning.  He  desired  me 
*«  to  draw  out  a  sketch  of  the  constitution  of  the  college  ; 
<«  which  I  did.  And  now  Mr.  Barlow  has  instructed  me  to 
^f  draw  up  a  minute  as  a  justification  of  the  measure.  Lord 
"  Wellesley  proposes  that  Mr.  Brown  should  be  the  Provost 
«  of  the  college  ;  and  he  is  certainly  the  fittest  man  in  Cal- 
"  cutta  for  that  office.  I  had  him  in  my  mind  when  drawing 
♦«  up  the  duties  of  Provost.  There  will  be  about  eight  or  ten 
♦<  professors.  No  promotion  in  the  service,  but  through  the 
•'  medium  of  this  institution.  The  students  to  remain  at  col- 
«  lege  for  three  or  five  years.  Pi-izes  and  honours  to  be  pro- 
*'  posed  for  those  who  distinguish  themselves,  and  degrees 
'i  to  be  taken  to  qualify  for  certain  offices." 

Some  allusion  is  made  to  the  subject  introduced  in  the  pre- 
ceding extract  in  the  two  following  letters  from  Mrs.  Buchan- 
an ;  which,  as  they  exhibit  a  pleasing  and  faithful  picture  of 
a  most  amiable  woman,  very  early  removed  from  this  world, 
it  may  not  be  uninteresting  to  insert,  before  we  proceed  to  a 
more  enlarged  view  of  the  college  of  Fort  W  illiam. 

The  first  Is  addressed  to  Mr.  Newton,  and  is  dated  Cal- 
cutta, 2ith  June,  1800. 

"  Dear  Sir, 
"  Mr.  Buchanan  assures  me  that  you   will  excuse  the 
<'  liberty  I  take  in  writing  to  you.    I  have  long  wished  to 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  I45 

**  acknowledge  the  debt  I  owe  you,  for  your  valuable  works. 
"  They  have  been  blessed  to  many,  and  I  trust  will  be  also 
"  blessed  to  me.  But  I  believe  I  am  still  more  indebted  to 
"you  as  the  friend,  father,  and  instructor  of  my  beloved 
<«  husband  ,•  as  such,  I  must  consider  you  as  the  instrument, 
"  under  God,  of  my  present  happiness. 

"  You  will  be  j^lad  to  hear,  that  Mr.  B's  health  is  of  late 
"much  improved;  but  I  am  alarmed  lest  his  approaching 
*«  labours  should  be  too  much  for  him.  We  have  reason  to 
"  believe  that  he  will  be  appointed  a  professor  in  the  new 
*^  college.  He  himself  wishes  to  decline  it ;  but  his  friends 
«^  do  not  see  how  it  is  possible,  as  he  has  taken  an  active 
"  part  in  the  institution.  It  is  supposed  that  he  may  have 
"  his  choice  of  three  professorships,  classics,  mathematics, 
"  or  the  belles-lettres.  I  believe  his  intention  is  to  accept  of 
««  a  situation  in  college,  if  it  be  easy;  but  if  not,  to  decline  it 
«  on  the  plea  of  health. 

*<  Dear  Sir,  I  cannot  expect  to  see  you  in  this  world;  may 
"  I  therefore  request  you  to  send  your  blessing  to  me  and 
"  my  little  girl.'' 

"  I  desire  my  love  to  your  niece,  and  remain, 
"  My  dear  Sir, 

"  Yours  with  Christian  affection, 

"  Mary  Buchanan." 

The  second  of  these  letters  is  to  Mr.  Elliott ;  and  w  bile  it 
expresses  with  equal  simplicity  the  advancing  piety  of  her 
own  mind,  it  recognizes  the  support  which  Lord  Wellesley 
was  then  affording  to  religion  in  Calcutta.  It  is  of  the  same 
date  with  the  former. 

"  Dear  Sir, 
«  Your  letter  to  Mr.  Buchanan,  in  which  you  mention  our 
"  marriage,  gave  me  real  pleasure.  And  as  you  expressed 
«  a  wisli  that  I  should  write  to  you,  I  take  tliis  opportunity 
"  to  thank  you  for  your  affectionate  congratulations.  You 
*«  have  reason  indeed  to  congratulate  me.  It  is  the  happiest 
"  circumstance  in  my  life,  that  I  ever  came  to  India ;  where 

T 


146  MEMOIRS  OF 

« I  have  been  united  to  one,  whose  endeavours  God  has  been 
*'  pleased  to  bless,  in  leading  me  to  some  knowledge  of  the 
"  everlasting  Gospel.  It  is  a  new  Gospel  to  me,  and  I  seem 
« to  live  in  a  new  world,  differing  far  more  from  my  old 
«  world,  than  India  differs  from  England.  May  I  request 
<i  your  prayers,  that  this  good  work  may  be  carried  on  in 
«  my  heart,  and  that  it  may  issue  in  honour  to  my  beloved 
"  husband,  and  to  his  ministry  here?  He  has  much  to  en- 
"  courage  him  in  the  work  of  the  Gospel.  There  is  an  evi- 
*^  dent  change  in  the  face  of  the  society  here,  even  in  the 
<<  short  time  since  I  arrived  in  the  country.  Lord  Welles- 
<«  ley  seems  inclined  to  support  the  Christian  religion  by 
6<  every  means.  Vital  religion  also  is  encreasing.  It  seems 
*^  to  be  fostered  under  the  wing  of  that  general  sanction  to 
"  Christianity  which  has  lately  been  given.  This  is  the 
<«  only  place  in  India  where  religion  is  countenanced.  We 
<«  have  now  many  respectable  families  here  in  which  piety 
«^  meets  with  real  encouragement. 

"  I  remain,  dear  Sir, 

«  Yours,  with  much  esteem, 

«  Mary  Buchanan." 

By  the  despatch  which  conveyed  the  two  preceding  let- 
lers,  Mr.  Buchanan  sent  another  remittance  to  his  mother, 
to  the  comfort  of  whose  declining  years  he  was  afterwards 
enabled  still  more  largely  to  contribute. 

On  the  18th  of  August  1800,  the  college  of  Fort  William, 
which  had  been  virtually  in  operation  since  the  4th  of  May, 
was  formally  established  by  a  minute  in  councila,  in  which 
the  Governor  General  detailed  at  length  his  reasons  for  such 
an  institution.  The  important  part  which  Mr.  Buchanan 
took  in  the  formation  and  subsequent  conduct  of  that  estab- 
lishment will  sufficiently  Justify  the  following  brief  abstract 
of  the  able  and  interesting  documents  referred  to. 

The  British  possessions  in  India,  said  Iiis  Lordship,  now 
constitute  one  of  the  most  extensive  and  populous  empires 

a  See  "  The  College  of  Fort  William  in  Bengal,"  published  by  Mr.  Buchanan 
in  1805. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  14^ 

ill  the  world.  The  immediate  administration  of  the  govern- 
ment of  the  various  provinces  and  nations  composing  this 
empire,  is  principally  confided  to  the  European  civil  ser- 
vants of  the  East  India  Company.  Upon  them,  in  consequence, 
devolve  the  duties  of  dispensing  justice  to  millions  of  people 
of  various  languages,  manners,  usages,  and  religions  ;  of  ad- 
ministering a  vast  and  complicated  system  of  revenue  through- 
out districts,  equal  in  extent  to  some  of  the  most  considera- 
ble kingdoms  of  Europe  ;  and  of  maintaining  civil  order  in 
one  of  the  most  populous  and  litigious  regions  of  the  world. 
They  can,  therefore,  no  longer  be  considered  as  the  agents 
of  a  commercial  concern ;  they  are  in  fact  the  ministers  and 
officers  of  a  powerful  sovereign,  and  must  be  viewed  in  that 
capacity,  with  a  reference,  not  to  their  nominal,  but  to  their 
real  occupations.  Their  education  should  consequently  be 
founded  in  a  general  knowledge  of  those  branches  of  litera- 
ture and  science,  which  form  the  basis  of  the  education  of 
persons  destined  to  similar  offices  in  Europe.  To  this  foun- 
dation should  be  added  an  intimate  acquaintance  with  the 
history,  languages,  customs,  and  manners  of  the  people  of 
India,  with  the  Mohammedan  and  Hindoo  codes  of  law  and 
religion,  and  with  the  political  interests  and  relations  of 
Great  Britain  in  Asia.  They  should  be  regularly  instructed 
in  the  principles  and  system  which  constitute  the  foundation 
of  that  wise  code  of  regulations  and  laws  enacted  by  the  Go- 
vernor General  in  council,  for  the  purpose  of  securing  to  the 
people  of  this  empire  the  benefit  of  the  ancient  and  esta- 
blished laws  of  the  country,  administered  in  the  spirit  of  the 
British  constitution.  Finally,  their  early  habits  should  be 
so  formed,  as  to  establish  in  their  minds  such  solid  founda- 
tions of  industry,  prudence,  integrity,  and  religion,  as  should 
'effectually  guard  them  against  those  temptations  and  cor- 
ruptions with  which  the  nature  of  the  climate,  and  the 
peculiar  depravity  of  the  people  of  India,  will  surround  and 
assail  them  in  every  station,  especially  upon  their  first  arri- 
val in  India.  The  early  discipline  of  the  service  should  be 
calculated  to  counteract  the  defects  of  the  climate  and  the 
vices  of  the  people,  and  to  form  a  natural  barrier  against  ha- 


148  MEMOIRS  OF 

bitual  indolence,  dissipation,  and  licentious  indulgence  ;  the 
spirit  of  emulation  in  honourable  and  useful  pursuits  should 
be  kindled  and  kept  alive  by  the  continual  prospect  of  dis- 
tinction and  reward,  of  profit  and  honour;  nor  should  any 
precaution  be  relaxed  in  India  which  is  deemed  necessary  in 
England,  to  furnish  a  suflicient  supply  of  men,  qualified  to 
fill  the  high  offices  of  the  state,  with  credit  to  themselves,  and 
with  advantage  to  the  jmblic. 

It  would  be  unnecessary,  continued  Lord  Wellesley,  in 
the  document  referred  to,  to  enter  into  any  examination  of 
facts,  to  prove  that  no  system  of  education,  study,  or  disci- 
pline now  exists,  either  in  Europe  or  in  India,  founded  on 
the  principles,  or  directed  to  the  objects,  before  described. 
His  Lordship,  however,  proceeded  to  review  the  course 
through  which  the  junior  civil  servants  of  the  East  India 
Company  t!ien  entered  upon  the  important  duties  of  their 
respective  stations  ;  and  the  result  of  this  examination  tended 
to  prove,  that  the  actual  state  of  the  Company's  civil  ser- 
vice in  India  was  far  removed  from  perfection  or  efficiency, 
and  that  the  cause  of  this  "defect  was  to  be  found  principally, 
if  not  exclusively,  in  the  imperfect  education  of  the  junior 
civil  servants,  and  in  the  insufficient  discipline  of  tlie  early 
stages  of  the  service. 

In  reply  to  the  general  argument,  which  might  be  adduced 
to  disprove  the  necessity  of  any  new  institution,  on  the 
ground,  that  the  service  of  the  East  India  Company  had, 
through  a  long  period  of  years,  always  furnished  men  equal 
to  the  exigency  of  the  occasion,  it  was  contended,  that  extra- 
ordinary combinations  of  human  affairs,  wars,  revolutions, 
and  all  those  unusual  events  which  form  the  marked  features 
and  prominent  characters  of  the  history  of  mankind,  natu- 
rally bring  to  light  talents  and  exertions  adapted  to  such 
emergencies.  But  that  it  must  never  be  forgotten,  that  the 
successive  efforts  of  the  personages  thus  raised  up,  and  the 
final  result  of  various  revolutions  and  wars,  had  imposed 
upon  the  East  India  Company  the  arduous  and  sacred  trust 
of  governing  a  great  empire;  that  duty,  policy,  and  honour 
required  that  it  should  not  be  administered  as  a  temporary 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  14:9 

and  precarious  acquisition,  but  as  a  permanent  succession  ; 
and  that  in  this  view  its  internal  government  should  not  be 
left  to  depend  on  the  success  of  individual  or  accidental 
merit,  struggling  against  the  defects  of  established  institu- 
tions ;  but  should  be  so  ordered  as  to  secure  a  constant, 
steady,  and  regular  supi)ly  of  able  magistrates,  wise  and 
honest  judges,  and  skilful  statesmen,  properly  qualified  to 
conduct  the  ordinary  movements  of  its  administration. 

An  additional  motive  for  such  an  institution  as  was  then 
meditated  was  derived  from  the  acknowledged  fact,  that  at 
this  period  the  erroneous  and  pestilent  principles  of  the 
French  revolutionary  school  had  reached  the  minds  of  some 
individuals  in  the  service  of  the  Company  in  India ;  and 
that  the  state,  as  well  of  political  as  religious  opinions,  had 
been  in  some  degree  unsettled.  An  institution,  therefore, 
tending  to  fix  and  establish  sound  and  correct  principles  of 
religion  and  government  in  the  minds  of  the  junior  servants 
of  the  Company  at  an  early  period  of  life,  was  the  best  se- 
curity that  could  be  provided  for  the  stability  of  the  British 
power  in  India. 

After  discussing  the  practicability  of  forming  any  adequate 
establishment  in  England  for  the  purpose  of  duly  educating 
such  a  body  of  men  as  had  been  described,  and  determining 
that  it  could  not  be  obtained  otherwise  than  in  India,  the 
Governor  General  concluded  by  dcdaring,  that  a  college 
was  by  this  minute  in  council  founded  at  Fort  William,  for 
the  better  instruction  of  the  junior  civil  servants  of  the 
Company  in  such  branches  of  literature,  science,  and  know- 
ledge, as  might  be  deemed  necessary  to  qualify  them  for  the 
discharge  of  the  duties  of  the  different  offices  constituted  for 
the  administration  of  the  government  of  the  British  posses- 
sions in  the  East  Indies. 

The  general  reasons  upon  which  the  Marquis  Welleslcy 
proceeded  in  the  formation  of  this  important  institution, 
must  be  admitted  to  be  characterized  by  the  soundest  views 
of  a  liberal  and  enlightened  policy.  Whatever  difference  of 
opinion  may  exist  as  to  the  extent  or  detailed  arrangement 
of  the  establishment,  there  can  scarcely  be  any  as  to  the 


150  MEMOIRS  OF 

principles  upon  which  it  was  founded.  The  success,  too,  oi 
the  institution,  as  will  be  hereafter  seen,  fully  justified  the 
wisdom  of  the  original  plan,  and  reflects  the  highest  honour 
on  its  distinguished  author. 

The  immediate  government  of  the  college  was  vested  in  a 
Provost  and  Vice-Provost,  and  three  other  oificers,  to  whose 
notice  every  part  of  the  private  conduct  of  the  students,  their 
expenses,  their  connections,  their  manners,  and  morals, 
were  to  be  subject.  Professorships  were  established  in  the 
languages  chiefly  spoken  and  used  in  the  diff*erent  provinces 
of  India,  in  Hindoo  and  Mohammedan  law,  in  the  regula- 
tions and  laws  enacted  at  the  several  presidences  for  the 
civil  government  of  the  British  territories,  in  political 
economy,  and  particularly  the  commercial  institutions  and 
interests  of  the  East  India  Company,  and  in  various  branches 
of  literature  and  science.  There  was  also  to  be  a  considera- 
ble establishment  of  learned  natives  attached  to  the  college; 
some  of  whom  were  to  be  employed  in  teaching  the  students, 
others  in  making  translations,  and  others  in  composing 
original  works  in  the  oriental  tongues. 

The  excitements  to  exertion  in  the  college  of  Fort  William 
were  of  the  highest  and  most  eftective  nature ;  and  its  moral, 
economical,  and  religious  discipline,  such  as  was  admirably 
calculated  to  promote  all  that  is  virtuous,  dignified,  and 
useful  in  civil  society.  This  latter  most  important  branch  of 
the  institution  was,  in  an  especial  manner,  confided  to  the 
Provost  and  Vice-Provost,  who  were  thus  honourably  intro- 
duced to  the  public  notice  by  its  noble  founder. 

<*  Fortunately,"  observes  his  Lordsbip,  "  for  the  objects  of 
*<  the  institution,  the  Governor  General  has  found  at  Cal- 
<«cutta  two  clergymen  of  the  Church  of  England,  eminently 
<<  qualified  to  discharge  the  duties  of  Provost  and  Vice-Pro- 
«  vost.  To  the  former  office  he  has  appointed  Mr.  Brown, 
"  the  Company's  first  chaplain,  and  to  the  latter  Mr.  Bu- 
*<chanan.  Mr.  Brown's  character  must  be  well  known  in 
«  England,  and  particularly  so  to  some  members  of  the  Court 
*<  of  Directors ;  it  is  in  every  respect  such  as  to  satisfy  the 
»•  Governor  General,  that  his  view^s,  in  this  nomination,  will 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  I5i 

«  not  be  disappointed.  He  lias  also  formed  the  highest  expec- 
<'  tations  from  the  abilities,  learning,  temper,  and  morals  of 
"  Mr.  Buchanan,  whose  character  is  also  well  known  in 
<*  England,  and  particularly  to  Dr.  Porteus,  Bishop  of  Lon- 
<^  don,  and  to  Dr.  Milner,  Master  of  Queen's  College  in  the 
*<  University  of  Cambridge." 

A  body  of  statutes  was  afterwards  compiled  and  promul- 
gated by  Marquis  Wellesley,  which  regulated  the  admission 
of  students  and  professors,  the  lectures,  exercises,  examina- 
tions, and  public  disputations,  and  every  other  branch  of  the 
college  business.  The  office  of  the  Provost,  and,  virtually, 
of  the  Vice-Provost,  was  expressed  in  the  following  terms. 

*«It  shall  be  the  peculiar  province  and  sacred  duty  of  the 
«  Provost  governing  the  college  at  Fort  William,  to  guard 
^<  the  moral  and  religious  interests  of  the  institution  ;  and 
"  vigilantly  to  superintend  the  conduct  and  principles  of  all 
<'  its  members. 

<*  Divine  service  shall  be  performed  in  the  college  chapel 
f<  at  such  times  as  the  Provost  shall  appoint." 

Provision  was  also  made  by  the  statutes  for  applying  the 
internal  authority  of  the  superior  officers  of  the  college,  to 
strengthen  and  confirm  within  our  eastern  possessions  the 
attachment  of  the  civil  servants  of  the  Company  to  the  laws 
and  constitution  of  Great  Britain,  and  to  maintain  and  up- 
hold the  Christian  religion  in  that  quarter  of  the  globe. 

Of  the  formation  of  the  preceding  institution,  and  of  sev- 
eral additional  particulars  respecting  it,  Mr.  Buchanan 
wrote  to  Mr.  Grant  a  few  days  after  the  date  of  Lord  Wel- 
lesley's  minute  in  council,  on  his  way  to  Prince  of  Wales's 
Island  ;  where  he  stayed  about  a  month,  for  the  benefit  of 
Mrs.  Buchanan's  health,  which  was  already  beginning  to  be 
impaired. 

"Saugor  Roads,  23d  Aug.  180O. 

«  Dear  Sir, 
"  We  have  no  news  at  present  but  what  relates  to  the  new 
^«  college,  wliich  is  now  founded.     It  consists  of  a  Provost, 
"  Vice-Provost,  and  Professors.     All  the  writers,  and  some 


iS2  MEMOIRS  OF 

**  of  the  cadets,  (the  learned  and  well  recommended,)  are 
•*  admitted  to  the  benefits  of  the  institution.  A  building  for 
"  the  college,  to  contain  two  hundred  students,  is  to  be  imme- 
<*diately  erected  in  Garden  Reach,  together  with  a  chapel, 
"  hall,  &c.  Mr.  Speke's  house,  and  Mr.  Cowper's,  will  form 
•<  part  of  the  college ;  being  intended  for  the  principal  officers. 
<<  In  the  mean  time,  a  range  of  large  houses  in  Calcutta  is 
«  taken  for  present  use,  not  far  from  the  Writers'  Buildings. 
**  Mr.  Brown  is  appointed  Provost  of  the  college.  His  du- 
«  ties  are  to  receive  the  young  men  on  their  arrival,  and  to 
"  he  their  official  friend.  I  have  been  appointed  Vice-Pro- 
«  vost.  His  duties  are  very  laborious.  When  I  planned 
«<  them,  I  little  thought  I  should  be  called  to  execute  them. 
**  He  is  the  censor  morum,  and  arbiter  of  official  and  per- 
«  sonal  properties  in  college." 

Mr.  Buchanan  next  inserts  a  list  of  the  professors  already 
appointed ;  in  which  his  own  name  appears  as  Professor  of 
Greek,  Latin,  and  English  classics.  He  then  continues  as 
follows. 

<«  The  college  council,  or  caput,  consists  of  Provost,  Vice- 
*<  Provost,  and  Messrs.  Barlow,  Kirkpatrick,  and  Edmon- 
<<  stone. 

«  A  public  table  to  be  established  for  the  students.  Their 
"  moonshees  to  be  attached  to  the  college.  No  student  in 
"  debt  to  be  admitted  to  the  college,  or  to  have  promotion  in 
*<  service  afterwards.  Means  are  to  be  taken  to  pay  oiTthe 
"  debts  of  many  students,  in  the  first  instance.  The  disci- 
*•  pline  is  to  be  most  rigid.  Rewards  and  honours  to  the 
«  deserving  very  liberal.  Notwithstanding  the  expense  to 
"  government  of  supporting  table,  moonshees,  &c.  the  stu- 
"  dents  are  to  have  their  three  hundred  rupees  a  month,  in 
*<  full. 

'*  By  this  institution,  two  hundred  students,  the  whole 
«  generation  of  English  India,  will  be  put,  in  some  degree, 
«  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Brown  and  myself. 

«« Lectures  will  probably  commence  on  the  first  of  Novem- 
«  ber  1800.  Four  terms  in  a  year  of  two  months,  and  four 
*«  vacations  of  one  month. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  193 

♦*  I  mention  the  foregoing  particulars  at  this  time,  because 
"  they  may,  perhai)S,  have  some  influence  on  yourself  or 
*<  friends,  who  may  be  thinking  of  sending  their  sons  to 
"  India.'' 

This  last  observation  of  Mr.  Buchanan,  which  evidently 
points  at  the  security  to  be  afforded  by  the  new  establish- 
ment to  the  moral  and  religious  principles  and  habits  of  the 
students,  derives  strength  from  the  following  striking  pas- 
sage in  the  original  minute  of  Lord  Wellesley. 

"  This  institution,''  said  his  Lordship,  «*  will  be  best  ap- 
<«  preciated  by  every  affectionate  parent  in  the  hour  of  sepa- 
"  ration  from  his  cliild,  destined  to  the  public  service  in  In- 
«  dia.  Let  any  parent  (especially  if  he  has  himself  passed 
<'  through  the  Company's  service  in  India)  declare  whether 
"  the  prospect  of  this  institution  has  aggravated  or  mitigated 
"  the  solicitude  of  that  painful  hour;  whether  it  has  raised 
«  additional  doubts  and  fears,  or  inspired  a  more  lively  hope 
<<  of  the  honourable  and  prosperous  service,  of  the  early  and 
«  fortunate  return  of  his  child." 

It  may  perhaps  afford  a  still  more  clear  and  interesting 
view  of  the  actual  plan  of  the  college  of  Fort  William,  if  we 
subjoin  the  two  following  letters  from  Mr.  Buchanan  to  the 
young  friend  who  has  been  already  mentioned  as  enjoying 
his  confidential  correspondence. 

"Calcutta,  1st.  Nov.  1800. 

**  My  dear  Friend, 
<<  Yours  of  the  27th  Oct.  I  have  just  received.  I  dare  not 
«*  advise  with  respect  to  the  college.  Some  gentlemen  have 
*<  taken  advantage  of  the  regulation,  and  some  declined  it. 
«  Some  are  satisfied  that  the  college  will  promote  their  inter- 
<<  ests ;  and  some  are  satisfied  that  it  will  hurt  them.  Unless 
<<  you  are  sure  that  you  ought  to  come,  and  therefore  come 
« with  a  good  will  and  ardent  hopes,  I  would  rather  you 
<f  would  not  come;  for  unless  you  distinguish  yourself  in 
"  some  degree  for  your  attention,  success  in  study,  and  moral 
<«  conduct,  it  w^ould  have  been  better  for  you  that  you  had 
*<  never  seen  the  college  at  all.  Recollect  there  will  be  nearly 


154  MEMOIRS  OF 

*<  one  hundred  and  thirty  students,  fifty  of  whom  are  now  in 
"  Calcutta  applying  themselves  closely  to  their  studies. 

<*  With  respect  to  your  college  life,  it  will  he  what  you 
<«  make  it.  To  some  it  will  be  very  irksome,  to  others  per- 
<<  feet  freedom.  So  large  a  body  must  he  governed  by  sta- 
<«  tutes,  and  these  statutes  shall  be  strictly  enforced  :  but 
<«  the  whole  institution  is  built  on  liberal  principles;  intend- 
"  ed  for  gentlemen,  for  grown  gentlemen,  for  men  who  enter 
<<  it  with  the  purpose  of  attaining  to  a  certain  object ;  and 
<^who  are  therefore  willing  to  sacrifice  something  to  the 
'« general  good,  as  well  as  their  own  ultimate  advantage. 

'•  Mrs.  Buchanan  joins  me  in  best  regards  to  you  and  Mr. 
"  Darell,  and  1  am  very  sincerely  yours, 

^<  C.  Buchanan/* 
«  To  W,  P.  Elliottf  Esq.  Malda.*' 

To  the  same. 

^'  My  dear  Friend, 

«  Your  letter  of  the  7th,  mentioning  your  purpose  of 
"  coming  to  college,  I  have  just  received.  Whether  you 
<<  have  done  right  I  shall  be  able  to  tell  you  in  about  a  year 
"  hence ;  not  sooner.  So  entirely  does  it  depend  on  your- 
«  self. 

"  Before  you  obtain  your  qualifying  degree  in  the  college 
"  at  Fort  William  to  serve  the  Company,  you  must  hold  four 
«  public  disputations  in  the  Persian  or  Bengalee  languages, 
« once  as  respondent,  and  thrice  as  opponent.  As  re- 
«  spondent,  you  are  to  defend  a  proposition  given  by  your- 
^<  self  on  a  moral,  literary,  or  historical  subject,  or  concern- 
«  ing  oriental  manners  and  customs,  against  the  objections 
«  of  any  three  opponents  who  may  be  appointed.  You  are 
« first  to  pronounce  an  essay  on  your  subject,  and  then 
«  begin  to  def.rid  it  extempore,  in  classical  Persian,  against 
«  the  meditated  objections  of  your  opponents  ;  and  this  in 
<'  public,  before  all  Calcutta,  and  before  all  the  natives  of 
«  rank  and  learning,  rajahs,  pundits,  moulvies,  and  moon- 
«<  shees  5 — an  august  tribunal ! 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  I55 

"  You  are  also  to  recite  in  public,  at  six  different  times, 
*f  six  essays  or  declamations  composed  by  yourself  on  sub- 
*<  jects  which  shall  be  given  you,  in  the  English  language. 
*<  Every  student  who  takes  a  degree  at  Fort  William  must 
**  give  proofs  of  his  being  a  classical  English  scholar ;  and  a 
"  practical  one. 

"  Ex  pede  Herculem,  Here  is  a  ploughshare  or  two  of 
♦'  your  college  ordeal.  Be  not  surprised,  then,  that  I  did 
"  not  urge  your  coming.  Here  there  is  room  for  honour, 
"  and  also  for  disgrace. 

"  As  for  the  number  of  horses  you  wish  to  bring  down, — 
«*  *  consider  what  hath  been  said.' 

**  You  and  all  of  your  year  will  have  quarters  in  the  Wri- 
<'  ters'  Buildings :  two  in  a  house.  There  is  no  choice. 
"Mr.  Barlow  will  place  you  where  there  is  a  vacancy  on 
*«  your  arrival. 

"  You  will  not  be  called  down  for  a  considerable  time  ; 
'*  and  I  suppose  will  see  little  of  cavalry  exercise  this  year. 

*<  Yours  very  sincerely, 

««  C.  Buchanan." 

*«  Calcutta,  17th  Nov.  1800.** 

In  order  to  complete  the  specimen  which  has  just  been 
given  of  the  views  with  which  the  younger  servants  of  the 
Company  entered  the  college  of  Fort  William,  it  may  not  be 
improper  to  add  the  following  extract  of  a  letter  from  Mr. 
W.  Elliott  to  one  of  his  friends,  who  was  then  deliberating 
as  to  his  own  determination. 

"Malda,  Dec.  14,1800. 

« — Not  to  detain  you  longer  from  the  subject  of  your  let- 
♦<  ter,  I  will  state  to  you  the  reasons  which  induce  me  to 
•«  enter  the  college. 

<*  I  must  confess  to  you  that  I  sacrifice  considerable  pre- 
"  sent  advantages ;  but  if  I  may  judge  from  all  that  Lord 
«  Wellesley  has  hitherto  done,  he  is  far  too  generous  to  al- 
<«  low  us  to  sustain  any  loss  which  he  will  not  make  up  on 


156  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  our  leavinj^  college.  I  say  this  on  the  supposition  that  lie 
*<  will  continue  so  long  in  the  government.  If  he  does  not, 
**  1  shall  still  have  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  myself  quali- 
«  fied  for  any  situation  whatever. 

"  As  the  opportunities  of  information  now  offered  are 
<<  many,  the  examination  of  those  who  decline  them  will  be 
««  proportionably  strict :  nor  do  I  think  myself  qualified,  or 
*<  that  F  could  qualify  myself  in  this  jungle,  for  any  situation 
<^  other  than  that  of  a  commercial  resident. 

"  As  it  is  not  my  present  intention  to  accept  any  thing  less 
"  than  a  good  residency,  you  will  not  be  surprised  that  I 
*'  devote  two  years  and  a  half  to  improve  myself  in  the  lan- 
<*  guages,  and  in  whatever  else  is  to  be  taught  in  the  college; 
**  at  the  end  of  which  time,  I  shall  not  have  been  more  than 
<^five  years  and  a  half  in  the  country.  Besides,  I  think  it 
<*  a  most  dangerous  experiment  to  decline  entering  the  col- 
<<  lege.  We  have  nothing  so  much  to  dread  as  the  being 
"  set  aside,  or  not  thought  of  when  any  appointment  of  trust 
«  becomes  vacant ;  which  will  in  my  opinion  certainly  be  the 
"case  with  those  who  thus  act. 

"1  am,  moreover,  one  of  those  eccentric  beings,  who  think 

<<  that  knowledge  and  information  cannot  be  purchased  at  too 

"  dear  a  rate ;  and  I  do  expect,  from  the  known  abilities  of 

a  juy  friend  Mr.  Buchanan,   and  some  of  the  other  profes- 

"  sors,  not  only  to  attain   the  immediate  object  which   I 

"  have  in  view,   a  knowledge  of  the  languages,   and  of  my 

"duty  as  a  servant  of  the  Company,  but  also  improvement 

« in  those  political  studies  which  no  gentleman  should  be 

"  ignorant  of.     Our  education  has  not  left  us  wholly  unin- 

<«  formed  on  these  subjects ;  but  the  early  age  at  which  we 

«  left  England  must  have  prevented  our  obtaining  that  de- 

«  gree  of  knowledge  requisite  for  sustaining  with  eclat  the 

"  rank  in  life  which  we  hope  to  fill  on  our  return  home.  Mr. 

"  Brovvn,  the  Pr(»vost,  wrote  to  me,  that  the  advantages  of 

"the  college  were  so  palpable,  and  the  danger  in  declining 

"  it  so  great,  that  I  could  not  reasonably  hesitate  on  the 

"  subject." 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  I57 

The  appointment  of  the  superior  officers  of  the  college  was 
notified  in  a  Calcutta  gazette  extraordinary  on  the  20th  of 
September  1800,  though  they  were  not  formally  admitted  to 
their  offices  till  the  24th  of  April  following.  Towards  the 
close  of  the  former  year  an  advertisement  was  published  in 
different  parts  of  India,  announcing  the  establishment  of  the 
college,  and  inviting  men  of  learning  and  knowledge,  moul- 
vies,  pundits,  and  moonshees,  to  Calcutta,  for  the  purpose  of 
submitting  to  an  examination  with  a  view  to  the  choice  of 
some  as  teachers  in  the  college.  About  fifty  natives,  and 
subsequently  a  larger  number,  were  in  consequence  attached 
to  it. 

Lectures  in  the  Arabic,  Hindostanee,  and  Persian  langua- 
ges, commenced  in  the  month  of  November  1800 ;  and  the 
first  regular  term  opened  on  the  6th  of  February  following. 


i^g  MEMOIRS  OF 


CHAPTER  11. 

WITH  the  commencement  of  the  year  1801,  Mm  Bu- 
chanan entered  upon  his  important  and  laborious  duties  as 
Vice-Provost  and  Professor  of  Classics  in  the  college  of  Fort 
William.  His  health  and  spirits  had  hitherto  heen  more  or 
less  depressed  ;  nor  was  the  former  likely  to  be  improved 
by  the  various  weighty  engagements  which  now  devolved 
upon  him.  A  work,  however,  had  at  length  been  assigned  to 
him,  both  in  the  college,  and  as  one  of  the  chaplains  of  the 
Presidency ;  which,  while  it  demanded  his  utmost  talents 
and  exertions,  deeply  interested  his  feelings,  and  animated 
him  with  the  hope  of  becoming  extensively  useful  in  India. 
Early  in  this  year  he  thus  wrote  to  Mr.  Grant. 

«<  Since  my  last  to  you,  dated  Kedgeree,  when  I  was  going 
^*to  sea,  nothing  of  importance  has  occurred  here.  The 
"regulation  concerning  the  college  has  been  carried  into 
«<  effect,  and  the  institution  has  already  acquired  energy  and 
<« tranquillity.  We  have  about  an  hundred  students;  the 
«  greater  part  of  whom  promise  to  distinguish  themselves. 
<^  There  are  as  remarkable  instances  of  application  here,  as 
"  I  have  known  at  Cambridge. 

<«  Both  the  churches  are  generally  full,  particularly  in  the 
*'  cold  weather.  The  college  chapel  has  punkas,  which  will 
<<  probably  draw  a  great  number  of  the  townspeople  during 
<<  the  hot  season.  Lord  Wellesley  has  fitted  up  a  pew  for 
«  himself  in  chapel. 

"  Mr.  Check  breakfasted  with  Mrs.  Buchanan  this  morn- 
« ing,  and  pleased  her  much  with  the  account  he  gave  of 
*'  you  and  your  family  for  a  series  of  years  in  this  country. 
"  The  old  man  still  retains  his  faculties  in  vigour,  and  is 
<<  strong  in  body.  His  office  at  present  is  the  distribution 
«  of  four  or  five  hundred  rupees  a  month  to  the  poor.  The 
*<  cold  meat  of  college  supports  a  great  number  of  poor  Por- 
"  tuguese  and  English.'* 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  159 

On  the  16th  and  18th  of  the  same  month,  Mr.  Buchanan 
again  wrote  to  Mr.  Grant.  The  following  are  extracts 
from  his  letters. 

"  While  we  remained  at  Penang,  Sir  George  Leith,  the 
<<  Governor,  stated  to  me  the  want  of  a  chaplain  on  the 
^'  island.  I  have  since  represented  it  to  Lord  Wellesley,  who 
"  said  he  would  mention  the  subject  to  the  Court  of  Direc- 
"  tors.  Lord  W.  allows  one  hundred  dollars  a  month  for  a 
"  lay  chaplain.  Perhaps  you  might  effect  an  appointment 
*<  of  a  regular  chaplain  at  two  hundred  dollars  more.* 

«  Lord  W.  has  had  serious  thoughts  of  building  a  larger 
«  church.  But  the  college  institution  has  deranged  his  plans 
"  a  little.  If  you  cannot  give  us  a  new  church  at  present, 
<f  we  shall  thank  you  for  a  clock  and  bell ;  and  also  for  a 
«  singing  man  and  organist.  The  charity  boys  sing  in  the 
« two  churches  and  in  the  college  chapel  every  Sunday. 
*«  And  there  are  organs  in  each,  but  only  one  organist. 

«  Some  of  the  college  students  have  already  made  most 
"  distinguished  proficiency  in  the  oriental  languages.  By 
"  the  statutes  they  must  be  able  to  hold  public  disputations 
«<  in  these  languages  on  a  given  subject.  Ten  of  the  first 
"  proficients  go  out  the  first  year,  and  twenty  the  second, 
<«  The  spirit  of  emulation,  of  interest,  and  of  fame,  is  excited 
^«  in  a  very  remarkable  degree.  No  impropriety  of  conduct 
*<  is  known.  All  is  silence,  and  study,  and  decorum.  They 
«  all  dine  in  the  college  hall,  in  the  presence  of  the  pro- 
«<  fessors. 

"  There  are  some  instances  of  a  serious  spirit  of  religious 
•^  enquiry  among  the  students. 

« Lord  Wellesley  wants  some  persons  of  distinguished 
*f  ability  in  science  and  classics  to  superintend  in  college, 
"  and  thinks,  properly,  that  they  should,  if  possible,  be 
"clerical  men.  He  has  asked  me  for  names,  and  I  have 
"mentioned  those  of  several  wranglers  and  medallists, 
"which,  he  says,  he  will  send  to  Mr.  Dundas,  Two  or  three 
"  of  them  promised  once  to  do  honour  to  their  profession. 

*  A  chaplain  has  since  been  appointed  to  the  island. 


160  MEMOIRS  OF 

«  Mr.  Brown  is  in  a  precarious  state  of  health  at  present; 
*^  and  I  have  never  been  strong.  No  such  field  is  any  where 
"  to  be  found  for  learning  and  piety,  as  that  which  Calcutta 
<^  at  this  time  exhibits. 

"  Sir  Alured  Clarke  has  just  left  us.  He  is  entitled  to 
''  the  thanks  of  your  Court  for  his  attention  to  divine  ser- 
"  vice,  and  for  the  general  good  example  he  has  set  to  your 
<*  settlement  here." 

In  his  next  letter  to  Mr.  Grant,  Mr.  Buchanan  had  the 
pleasure  of  introducing  to  him  one  of  his  earliest  friends, 
Mr.  Alexander  Campbell*  the  second  officer  of  the  Wal- 
singham  East  Indiaman,  and  afterwards  commander  of  the 
United  Kingdom. 

*<  He  was  once,"  says  Mr.  Buchanan,  «  a  pupil  of  mine, 
*«  when  I  was  fourteen,  and  he  was  ten  years  of  age.  He  is 
« the  son  of  a  respectable  family  ;  and  though  he  was  for- 
^«  merly  gay,  he  is  now  more  steady,  and  has  had  oppor- 
"  tunities  lately  of  seeing  .^reat  changes  of  heart  in  those 
*<  around  him.  He  was,"  and  it  was  surely  a  singular  coin- 
cidence, ^*  fourth  officer  of  the  Busbridge,  which  brought 
"  me  to  India.  I  do  not  know  what  you  can  do  for  him, 
"  farther  than  by  recommending  him  as  an  active  and  intel- 
^<  ligent  officer,  which  he  is.  He  does  not  much  like  the  sea, 
"  and  would  gladly  retire  to  a  quiet  and  certain  situation. 
*<  But  I  have  advised  him  to  continue  in  his  present  line, 
<«  and  to  maintain  his  activity  and  integrity  before  all  men. 

'f  General  Lake  is  just  arrived.  He  apd  his  family  were 
"  at  church  yesterday." 

In  the  month  of  June  following,  Mr.  Buchanan  thus  re- 
sumes his  account  of  the  two  subjects  of  Indian  intelligence 
most  interesting  to  himself,  the  church  and  the  college,  in  a 
letter  to  Mr.  Grant,  and  announces  Mrs.  Buchanan's  ap- 
proaching return  to  England. 

"  Our  church  continues  in  much  the  same  state  in  which 
« I  described  it  to  be  in  my  last.  We  have  had  an  addition 
<*  of  some  communicants,  chiefly  from  college.  The  church 
« thins  a  little  always  in  the  hot  months  of  May  and  June. 
<«  Lord  W«  has  proposed  to  use  punkas  and  tatties ;  and 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  I6l 

"it  is  probable  that  we  shall  have  recourse  to  them  next 
*<  season. 

<*  The  college  still  goes  on  with  spirit  and  energy.  Some 
«  of  the  students  will  leave  it,  and  enter  on  the  service  in 
<*  December  1801  (this  year.)  I  see  clearly  that  all  our 
«  future  professors  and  examiners  will  be  taken  from  among 
<*  those  who  have  been  students.  It  is  with  the  greatest 
<<  difficulty  that  we  can  find  in  the  whole  service  examiners 
<^  in  the  various  languages,  who  have  confidence  to  face  the 
'<  students.  So  that  we  liave  been  obliged  to  take  our  ex- 
*'  aminers  from  among  the  professors,  which  is  rather  con- 
"  trary  to  the  statutes." 

Mr.  Buchanan  appears  to  have  detained  this  letter  till 
after  the  3d  of  July,  on  which  day  the  first  public  examina- 
tion of  the  college  students  took  place.     The  name  of  his 
young  friend,  Mr.  William  Elliott,  appeared  at  the  head  of 
the  first  class  in  the  Persian  and  Hindostanee  languages, 
and  in  Nagree  writing,   and  in  the  first  class  of  Arabic. 
Mr.  Buchanan  speaks  also  of  the  good  conduct  and  distin- 
guished proficiency  in  the  languages,  of  some  other  young 
men,  as  being  above  all  praise.     He  then  adverts  to  the 
health  of  Mrs.  Buchanan,  who  since  her  return  from  Pulo 
Penang  had  experienced  a  return  of  her  consumptive  com- 
plaint, which  made  it  necessary  for  her  to  try  the  effect  of 
her  native  air.  «  Should  her  health,"  he  adds,  "  be  restored, 
<^  she  will  return  to  India,   after  a  short  residence  with  her 
'*  family." 

Accordingly  on  the  25th  of  July  1801,  Mrs.  Buchanan 
embarked  for  England,  taking  with  her  their  eldest  daugh- 
ter, Charlotte,  and  leaving  the  youngest,  Augusta,  then  not 
quite  six  months  old,  with  Mr.  Buchanan.  Her  voyage 
was  stormy,  and  otherwise  perilous  and  painful ;  but  she 
reached  her  native  country  in  safety  on  the  18th  of  Febru- 
ary 1802. 

She  was  the  bearer  of  a  letter  to  one  of  Mr.  Buchanan's  - 
friends,  in  which  he  mentions  that  the  regular  attendance 
of  the  greater  number  of  the  students  on  divine  worship, 
and  still  more  decisive  proofs  of  serious  impressions  amongst 


I6g  MEMOIRS  OF 

them,  had  given  him  new  ardour  and  new  hopes,  that  the 
college  of  Fort  William  would  prove  a  religious  as  well  as  a 
literary  institution  to  many  of  them. 

Mr.  Buchanan  then  observes  in  reply  to  a  suggestion  of 
his  correspondent,  whether  he  might  not  have  attempted  to 
preach  to  the  Hindoos,  that  independently  of  various  other 
impediments,  it  was  inconsistent  with  the  rules  prescribed 
to  him  as  a  chaplain  of  the  company  ;*  but  that,  although  he 
had  not  converted  any  natives,  he  had  been  honoured  as  the 
instrument  of  the  conversion  of  souls  in  India^  and  had  seen 
some  of  them  die  in  the  faith. 

The  friend  to  whom  Mr.  Buchanan  was  writing  had  also 
hinted  that  some  of  his  English  correspondents  were  dis- 
appointed at  so  seldom  hearing  from  him.  To  this  he  thus 
satisfactorily  replies. 

<<  I  had  such  a  numerous  body  of  friends  and  acquaint- 
<<  ances,  literary  and  religious,  in  Scotland  and  in  England, 
«^  that  I  found  it  was  in  vain  to  attempt  a  correspondence 
<<  with  them  all  in  my  infirm  state  of  health.  I  have  therefore 
"  scarcely  written  to  any  one,  but  to  yourself,  Mr.  Newton, 
«  and  Mr.  Grant.  I  have  less  time  now  than  ever ;  and 
«  even  my  letters  to  you  will  be  less  frequent.  The  chief 
<<  labour  of  the  churches  is  devolving  fast  upon  me.  My  re- 
<*ligious  correspondence  in  India  is  greater  than  at  any 
"  former  time.  The  whole  direction  of  the  college  lies  with 
<«  me  ;  every  paper  is  drawn  up  by  me  ;  and  every  thing 
« that  is  printed  is  revised  by  me.  In  addition  to  this,  I 
«  give  Greek  and  Latin  lectures  four  days  in  the  week  du- 
"  ring  term  ;  and  I  must  visit  and  receive  visits  on  an  ave- 
«  rage  twice  a  day. 

«  You  desired  me  to  say  something  in  self-defence,  else  I 
<<  should  not  have  given  you  the  above.  I  am  yet  an  unpro- 
« fitable  servant,  very  unworthy  the  lowest  place  in  my 
«  Master's  vineyard ;    and  I  am  supported  chiefly  at  times 

a  It  must  be  Fcmembered,  that  a  considerable  change  with  respect  to  religion  has 
taken  place  in  India  since  the  jieriod  to  which  this  observation  refers,  and  that  what 
was  then  a  subject  of  the  most  jealous  suspicion  is  now  regarded  with  more  liberal 
«nd  Christian  feelings. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  l63 

« by  the  feeble  hope  that  the   Lord,   who  works  by  any 
♦*  means,  will  be  plejised  to  work  even  by  me." 

From  the  time  that  Mr.  Buchanan  removed  to  the  Presi- 
dency, he  generally  preached  at  one  or  other  ot*  the  churches 
in  Calcutta  once,  and  sometimes  twice,  on  the  Sunday.  It 
appears  also  from  a  book  of  memoranda,  in  which  he  briefly 
noticed  his  engagements  during  the  five  most  active  years 
of  his  residence  in  India,  that  he  occasionally  preached  the 
weekly  evening  lecture,  which  had  been  established  by  Mr. 
Brown.  In  writing  to  a  friend  at  Cambridge,  Mr.  Buchan- 
an observed,  that  the  congregations  at  the  new  church  were 
more  numerous^  than  those  at  St.  Mary's,  more  elegant, 
equally  critical,  and  perhaps  not  less  intelligent.  To  ad- 
dress such  audiences  with  acceptance  and  effect  must  conse= 
quently  have  demanded  much  laborious  preparation.  At  the 
mission  church  the  congregations  were  chiefly  composed  of 
those  who  simply  sought  Christian  instruction  and  edifi- 
cation. 

Of  the  general  tenor  of  his  discourses  at  both  places  some 
idea  may  be  formed  from  the  preceding  view  of  his  charac- 
ter and  sentiments.  A  few  notices  of  the  subjects  of  his 
preaching  occur  amongst  the  memoranda  just  referred  to. 
The  following  are  some  of  them.  «The  inward  witness 
"  to  Christianity,"  from  1  John  v.  10.  <*  The  barren  fig- 
<^  tree,"  at  the  close  of  the  year  1801.  « In  Adam  all  die," 
on  the  Easter  following.  *<  The  second  Adam."  '' Jairus." 
«  On  Knowledge."  "  We  preach  Christ  crucified."  "  The 
«  second  advent."  "  Abraham  seeking  a  country."  "  St. 
"  Paul  at  Athens."  "  If  then  ye  be  risen  with  Christ,  seek 
<<  those  things  which  are  above."  These  are  but  scanty  me- 
morials of  Mr.  Buchanan's  labours  in  Calcutta  as  a  preach- 
er. Some  specimens,  however,  of  his  sermons  will  here- 
after be  adduced. 

Scarcely  more  numerous  or  detailed  traces  remain  of  the 
other  great  branch  of  his  employment,  as  Vice-Provost  and 

a  Some  estimate  may  be  formed  of  their  numbers  by  a  note  of  Mr.  Buchanan's 
on  Christmas  day  1801,  from  which  it  appears,  that  two  hundred  communicants  had 
at  tended  that  day  at  the  administration  of  the  Lord's  supper. 


IQ^  MEMOIRS  OF 

Classical  Professor  in  the  college  of  Fort  William.  Although 
Mr.  Brown,  as  the  senior  chaplain  of  the  Presidency,  accept- 
ed tlie  office  of  Provost,  and  in  both  capacities  was  zealous 
and  indefatigable  in  his  endeavours  to  promote  the  interests 
of  religion  in  Calcutta,  the  superintendence  and  practical 
government  of  the  college  rested  upon  Mr.  Buchanan.  Oc- 
casi<mal  notices  occur  in  these  imperfect  records,  of  the  books 
in  which  he  lectured  during  different  terms,  as  well  as  of  his 
sermons.  Homer  and  Virgil,  Lon^nus  and  Demosthenes, 
Terence  and  Juvenal,  Livy,  Horace,  and  Xenophon,  are 
am<mgst  the  authors  enumerated  as  occupying  the  attention 
of  the  students  of  Fort  William.  Independently  of  his  lec- 
tures in  these  and  other  classical  writers,  Mr.  Buchanan's 
memoranda  notice  frequent  communications  with  Lord  Wel- 
lesley,  and  the  council  of  the  college,  upon  points  of  internal 
discipline  and  arrangement,  the  composition  of  various  pub- 
lic orders,  letters,  and  other  papers  and  documents,  the 
revision  of  college  essays,  and  books  connected  with  the  in- 
stitution, and  attendences  at  the  terminal  examinations^ 
disputations,  and  subsequent  distribution  into  classes,  of 
the  students. 

Tli£  time  necessarily  employed  in  these  multiplied  la- 
bours, in  maintaining  a  correspondence  in  India  and  Eu- 
rope, and  in  visits  of  ceremony,  friendship,  or  charity,  and 
amongst  the  latter  some  are  mentioned  to  the  orphan  and 
other  schools  in  and  near  Calcutta,  will  suffice  to  prove,  that 
no  sooner  were  these  opportunities  of  active  service  and  use- 
fulness presented  to  Mr.  Buchanan,  than  he  embraced  them 
with  a  degree  of  ardour,  diligence,  and  perseverance, 
which  reflects  the  highest  honour  on  his  principles  and  his 
practice. 

It  will  not,  however,  be  a  subject  of  surprise  to  those  w  ho 
are  aware  of  the  high  standard  by  which  such  men  as  Mr. 
Brown  and  Mr.  Buchanan  are  accustomed  to  measure  their 
obligations,  to  find  that  neither  of  them  was  satisfied  with 
his  endeavours  to  fulfil  them.  We  have  already  noticed  one 
proof  of  their  mutual  anxiety  upon  these  important  points.® 

«  See  page  110, 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  165 

And  we  have  now  to  witness  another  of  a  still  more  interest- 
ing nature,  in  a  reply  of  Mr.  Buchanan  to  a  communication 
from  Mr.  Brown,  wlio  was  then  at  Chandernagore,  where 
he  had  heen  residing  some  months  for  the  benefit  of  his 
health.  This  valuable  testimony  to  the  pastoral  feelings  of 
both  is  as  follows. 

"Calcutta,  29th  Nov.  1801. 

<*  My  dear  Sir, 

"  I  received  your  letter  last  night.  I  envy  much  the  zeal- 
«  ous  aftection  which  animates  your  mind,  and  would  gladly 
*<  go  up  to  Chandernagore  also,  to  obtain  the  same.  Old  Mr. 
<^  Newton  when  in  the  country  used  to  think  that  London 
•^  was  Sardis ;  but  when  he  came  up  to  town,  he  found  there 
"  a  great  assembly  walking  in  white  ;  and  so  he  joined  them. 
"  I  have  thought  more  seriously  in  Calcutta  than  ever  I 
*^  did  at  Barrackpore.  But  what  I  have  been  (at  any  pe- 
«  riod  of  my  life  J  is  so  little  like  what  I  would  wish  to  be, 
♦<that  I  cannot  contemplate  it  without  remorse.  1  do  not 
*'  know  that  I  ever  had  what  Christians  call  *  zeal.'  I  re- 
*^  collect  that  I  expected  it  would  grow,  when  I  entered  the 
<* ministry;  but  I  had  scarcely  entered  the  ministry,  and 
"  preached  a  few  times,  when  1  was  sent  to  this  country. 

"  I  never  knew,  as  you  do,  what  it  was  to  preach  profita- 
«  bly  and  zealously  for  a  season.  That  is  a  work  J  have  to 
<<  begin  ;  and  how  to  begin  it  I  know  not.  I  need  an  unc- 
*'  tion  from  on  high,  which  I  anxiously  look  for;  and  yet  in 
<'  looking  for  this,  I  look  for  that  which  I  never  knew,  as 
*f  most  have  known  it. 

'^  One  thing  urges  me  sometimes  to  press  forward  with 
'<  hope ;  and  that  is,  that  all  I  hear  and  all  1  say  appears  to 
<«  me  to  be  so  very  unlike  what  it  ought  to  be,  that  1  imagine 
"  something  better  might  be  attempted.  And  yet  were  the 
^<  Spirit  indeed  to  descend,  we  cannot  expect  that  God,  who 
<<  worketh  by  natural  means,  should  suddenly  add  the  elo- 
*<  quent  mouth,  and  new  powers  of  memory  and  understand- 
"  ing.  The  holy  skill  of  preaching  appears  to  be  the  fruit 
*«  of  long  experience  and  converse  among  God's  people.  And 


166  MEMOIRS  OF 

*<  in  Calcutta,  as  in  every  other  place,  the  able  minister  of 
«  the  New  Testament  can  only  be  made,  by  nightly  and 
*«  wakeful  ^meditation,  patient  study,  and  prayer  producing 
<*  self-denial. 

"  It  appears  to  me  that  it  was  never  intended  that  the 
*'  Gospel  should  flourish  in  the  heart  and  mouth  of  any  min- 
« ister,  who  did  not  make  it  the  '  one  thing,'  the  sole  point  of 
*«  heartfelt  recurrence.  But  when  it  is  ipade  so,  f  can  easily 
<«  conceive  how  the  tender  plant  grows  a  great  tree  with 
*<  spreading  branches  and  refreshing  fruit.  Then,  no  doubt, 
<*  even  a  mind  naturally  barren  bears  exuberant  ideas,  and 
«  is  constantly  forming  lively  images ;  and,  though  the  mouth 
*'  be  rude  in  speech,  the  full  heart  becomes  A^ocal,  and  utters 
"the  <  word  in  season.' 

f^  Whether  either  of  us  will  be  able  thus  to  make  the  Gos- 
«  pel  the  «  one  thing,'  time  will  shew.  <  He  that  warreth,' 
"  ought  not  to  <  entangle  liimself  with  the  affairs  of  this  life.' 
"  But  do  we  war  ?  Time  enough  for  the  soldier  to  disen- 
«  cumber  himself  when  he  begins  to  fight.  It  is  easy  to 
"  throw  off  a  college  ;  but  it  is  very  difficult  to  take  up  the 
«  church.  But  when  the  church  spirit  appears,  it  will  soon 
*^  conquer  the  college. 

<<  The  grand  question  is,  ought  not  means  to  be  used  to 
*<  mature  that  spirit  which  we  desire  ?  We  read  <  that  a  good 
«  soldier  of  Jesus  Christ  entangleth  himself  not  with  the  af- 
«  fairs  of  this  life,  that  he  may  please  him  who  hath  chosen 
«him  to  be  a  soldier;'  or,  as  Guyse  explains  it,  <  he  must 
"  not  follow  any  civil  calling,  unprofitable  reading,  or  unne- 
"  cessary  relaxation,  'to  entangle  his  thoughts,  and  swallow 
*<  up  his  time  ;'  (superintending  a  college  is  a  civil  calling  ; 
«  Latin  and  Greek  is  unprofitable  reading,  and  lying  in  bed 
«  after  five  in  the  morning  is  unnecessary  relaxation  ;)  <but 
"  his  whole  time,  words,  thoughts,  and  actions  must  be 
<^  employed,  like  a  soldier's,  on  his  calling,  that  he  may 
<«  please  Him  who  hath  chosen  and  authorized  him  to  fight.' 
"  How  far,  in  what  manner  and  in  what  particulars,  St. 
"  Paul  would  obey  the  spirit  of  this  passage,  were  he  in 
«  your  situation  or  mine,  I  really  cannot  tell.  Were  he  here, 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  I67 

"  he  would  be  warring.  After  7ve  have  warred  for  some 
<«  time,  we  also  shall  know.  «  0  that  I  knew  the  will  of  God 
<*  in  this  matter,'  saith  Augustine  :  « but  I  am  not  worthy  to 
<«  know  his  will.  This  ignorance  is  the  fruit  of  my  baek- 
«•'  sliding. 

<*  One  thing  seems  probable,  that  no  sudden  success  will 
«*  appear  from  any  sudden  change  of  our  style  of  address,  or 
<«  manner  of  preaching.  It  arises  usually  from  the  impres- 
<^  sion  of  private  character  and  manner  of  life.  Private 
^'  character  alone  will  confirm  the  public  sermon.  The  holy 
"  life  of  the  minister  is  the  good  alterative  among  men. 

^^  As  to  myself,  it  is  my  only  desire  to  be  of  some  service 
« to  the  church  of  Christ  before  I  die ;  and  I  would  gladly 
'<  seize  any  means,  by  change  of  situation  or  otherwise, 
«  which  would  enable  me  to  do  so.  As  to  this  world,  there 
« is  no  object  (if  I  know  my  own  heart  at  all)  which  I 
"  have  in  view;  neither  of  family,  of  fortune,  of  situation,  of 
«  leaving  this  country,  or  continuing  in  it.  I  have  chiefly 
<<  to  complain  of  a  languid  and  heartless  constitution,  both  in 
"  body  and  mind,  which  makes  me  to  bear  easily  with  all 
ff  things,  and  to  have  little  pleasure  in  any  thing.  This  loss 
*^  of  energy  and  life  has  been  occasioned  partly  by  a  continued 
'<  course  of  ill  health,  partly  by  the  untoward  circumstances 
"  in  my  situation  since  I  arrived  in  the  country,  but  chiefly 
<*  by  the  natural  contagion  of  unchristian  manners. 

"  I  am,  however,  at  this  time  more  independent  of  society 
«  I  dislike,  than  at  any  former  period  since  my  arrival  in 
''  India  ;  and  I  hope  to  be  yet  more  so.  Whether  by  resign- 
'<  ing  college  appointments,  secluding  myself  from  the  world, 
<«  and  preaching  twice  a  week,  I  should  be  of  more  service, 
"than  by  maintaining  a  public  situation,  is  a  question  I  can- 
"  not  answer.  What  may  be  impossible  and  improper  now, 
*<  may  be  possible  and  proper  hereafter. 

"  However,  the  chief  consideration  at  present  is  the  state 
*<  of  the  heart.  How  is  the  soul  with  God  ?  I  endeavour  by 
<«  prayer  to  restore  it  daily,  relying  (though  feebly)  on  the 
"  aid  of  the  Mediator,  wondering  sometimes  that  I  am  not 
"  worse,  oppressed  in  spirit  at  a  review  of  the  past,  and 
"  hoping  for  better  days. 


168  MEMOIRS  OF 

"I  shall  ever  be  ready  to  accede  to  any  plan  you  can  sug- 
'<  gest,  for  the  furtherance  of  our  ministry.  You  say  you 
<'  *  long  to  launch  out  into  the  fulness  of  Christ/  So  do  I. 
"But  these  words  are  too  apostolic  for  me  at  present.  In 
*«  order  to  launch  forth  like  *  #  *  I  should  need  not  only  a 
«new  effusion  of  the  Holy  Spirit;  but  those  natural  abilities 
<^  which  generally  accompany  such  an  effusion,  in  order  to 
«  make  it  useful.  Circumstances  seem  to  admonish  me, 
"that  the  « still  small  voice,'  and  not  <the  rushing  mighty 
^*  wind,'  is  my  province  in  the  Gospel.  What  another  school 
"than  Culcutta  would  have  produced,  I  know  not.  But  I 
"  shall  be  blessed,  if  grace  be  given  unto  me  to  do  what 
"  good  I  can,  consistently  and  steadily  in  my  various  situa- 
<*  tions.  Unhappily,  collegiate  avocations  usurp  much  of  my 
"  time.  But  let  us  beware  of  repining  at  the  necessity  of 
"  spending  time  in  this  w  ay,  till  we  become  confide^it,  that 
"  were  all  our  time  at  our  own  disposal,  we  should  spend  it 
"  in  a  better. 

"  I  earnestly  pray  that  we  may  both  be  rightly  directed 
<'in  our  labours  in  this  vineyard,  that  we  may  see  some 
«  fruit  in  others,   and  enjoy  the  comfort  ourselves  of  faithful 
"  ministers  of  the  Gospel.     I  think  better  days  are  at  hand. 
<<  In  this  hope  I  remain, 
"  My  dear  Sir, 

6(  Yery  affectionately  yours, 

"  C.  Buchanan. 
"  To  the  Rev.  D.  Brown,  "  Sunday  evening." 

^<  Chandernagore*^' 

It  is  not  amongst  the  least  interesting  circumstances  rela- 
tive to  this  exquisite  letter,  that  it  exhibits  both  its  author, 
and  the  friend  to  whom  it  was  addressed,  in  a  country  which 
at  that  time  possessed  no  ecclesiastical  superior,  amidst  mul- 
tiplied engagements  of  the  most  honourable  and  useful  na- 
ture, and  under  the  pressure  of  infirm  health  in  an  enerva- 
ting climate,  earnestly  occupied,  not  in  devising  some  method 
of  relieving  themselves  from  the  burthen  of  their  employ- 
ments, in  framing  plausible  apologies  for  the  indulgence  of 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  169 

ease  and  indolence,  or  in  schemes  for  the  attainment  of 
wealth  ;  but  affording  mutual  examples  of  self  enquiry,  re- 
proaching themselves  with  the  lukewarmness  of  exertions 
which  some,  perhaps,  had  already  accounted  excessive  ;  and 
exciting  eacii  other  to  more  animated  and  abundant  labours 
in  the  service  of  their  Lord  and  Master.  Yet  such  is  the 
impressive  sense  which  every  faithful  minister  of  the  Gospel 
entertains  of  his  obligations  and  his  duties,  of  the  love  of 
Christ  and  the  value  of  souls,  of  the  uncertainty  of  opportu- 
nity and  life,  and  the  approach  of  an  eternal  world,  that 
while  many  who  observe  him  may  imagine  that  he  is  in- 
dulging in  self-complacency  and  satisfaction  in  the  review  of 
his  exertions,  he  is  in  fact  humbling  himself  before  God,  and 
in  the  confidence  of  private  friendship,  at  the  recollection  of 
his  numerous  deficiencies. 

How  well  Mr.  Buchanan  understood  the  nature  of  true 
pastoral  zeal,  together  with  what  he  justly  calls  *the  holy 
skill  of  preaching  ;'  how  highly  he  estimated  both,  and  how 
perfectly  he  was  acquainted  with  the  means  by  which  they 
may  be  cultivated  and  beneficially  exercised,  is  evident  from 
his  dignified  and  eloquent  observations  upon  those  important 
points.  They  can  scarcely  be  read  without  producing  a 
powerful  conviction,  that  personal  piety,  of  a  vigorous  and 
exalted  cliaracter,  must  form  the  basis  of  any  reasonable 
hope  of  success  as  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel;  that  it  is  *<  the 
"  heart  of  the  wise,"  which  must  communicate  persuasion  to 
his  lips  ;  and  that  it  is  the  "  doctrine  and  the  life  coincident,'' 
which  can  alone  be  expiected  to  constitute  the  divine  art  of 
winning  souls  to  God. 

The  humility  wliich  breathes  througliout  the  whole  letter, 
the  disinterestedness  of  the  writer's  views,  the  ardent  desire 
which  he  expresses  of  more  decisive  usefulness,  and  the  ob- 
scure intimation  of  a  purpose,  which  was  gradually  becoming 
more  definite  and  mature,  of  endeavouring  more  effectually 
to  promote  the  extension  of  the  Redeemer's  kingdom  in  the 
East,  cannot  fail  to  be  observed  by  every  thoughtful  reader; 
and  while  they  serve  to  illustrate  the  character  of  Mr.  Bu- 


170  MEMOIRS  OF 

chanan,  and  the  principles  which  he  professed,  are  well  cal- 
culated to  excite  others  to  the  imitation  of  such  an  example. 

A  few  days  after  the  date  of  the  preceding  letter,  Mr. 
Buchanan  wrote  to  Mr.  Grant  as  follows. 

^*  Mr.  Brown  and  his  family  have  been  on  the  river  for 
<<  their  health,  for  five  or  six  weeks  past.  Our  churches 
"  durinj^  this  cold  season  are  more  crowded  than  I  ever  saw 
<*  them  before.  Even  on  Wednesday  evening  there  are  a 
*<  great  number  ;  and  good  is  done.  Some  of  the  students 
<^  attend  on  that  evening.  Their  presence  warms  the  heart 
"  of  old  Mr.  Obeck.  They  know  and  visit  him.  *  How  would 
"  Mr.  Grant  rejoice'^,  he  sometimes  says,  « to  see  these 
"  things  !'  The  pillars  are  removed,  and  a  number  of  addi- 
"  tional  seats  made,  to  accommodate  the  many  who  come." 

On  the  20th  of  January  1802,  it  appears  by  a  brief  me- 
morandum, that  Mr.  Buchanan,  in  taking  his  usual  even- 
ing's exercise,  suffered  a  severe  fall  from  his  horse.  <*  He 
came  down,"  he  says,  "  at  full  gallop,  and  I  was  thrown 
^<over  his  head  and  stunned.  He  seemed  to  tumble  over 
"  me.  Mercy !  mercy !"  The  sense  which  he  thus  em- 
phatically expressed  of  the  divine  goodness  which  had  pre- 
served him  from  any  fatal  injury,  was  probably  heightened 
by  his  recollection  of  the  death  of  a  Mr.  M*Intyre,  in  conse- 
quence of  a  similar  accident  about  two  months  before,  which 
he  had  also  recorded,  from  the  singular  circumstance,  that 
this  gentleman  had  lived  some  time  at  Carradell  in  Kintyre, 
when  he  was  himself  there  in  the  year  1785.  It  was  scarcely 
less  remarkable,  that  Mr.  Buchanan  should  have  occasion  a 
few  months  afterwards  to  notice  the  death  of  a  Mi*.  Mackay 
in  Calcutta,  whom  he  had  succeeded  about  the  same  period 
as  tutor  in  the  family  of  Captain  Campbell  of  Carradell. 
Though  Mr.  Buclianan  complained  for  several  weeks  of  the 
effects  of  his  fall,  he  was  sufficiently  recovered  to  preach, 
yet  not  without  much  weakness  and  pain,  the  next  evening. 

During  the  whole  of  this  month  Mr.  Buclianan  was  em- 
ployed in  making  various  arrangements  preparatory  to  the 

*  For  the  history  of  the  Mission  Church,  anrl  of  the  peculiar  interest  which  Mr. 
Grant  would  feel  in   its   jyrosperity,    the  reader  is  referred  to  the  /*  Memorial 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  I7I 

anniversary  of  the  commencement  of  the  colle.s;e  on  the  6th 
of  February.  On  that  day  public  disputations'^  were  held 
in  the  Persian,  Bengalee,  and  Hindostanee  languages,  in 
the  presence  of  the  members  of  the  supreme  council,  and 
many  other  distinguished  persons ;  the  prizes  and  honorary 
rewards  adjudged  at  the  preceding  examinations  were  dis- 
tributed, and  a  speech  was  delivered  by  Sir  George  Barlow, 
the  acting  visitor,  in  the  absence  of  Marquis  Wellesley  ;  in 
which,  after  expressing  his  satisfaction  at  the  zeal  and  abi- 
lity of  the  officers  and  professors  of  the  college  in  the  dis- 
charge of  their  public  duties,  and  at  the  distinguished  profi- 
ciency of  many  of  the  students,  as  well  as  their  exemplary 
conduct,  he  observed,  that  the  establishment  of  the  college 
had  already  excited  a  general  and  most  beneficial  attention 
to  oriental  languages,  literature,  and  knowledge ;  and  avowed 
his  conviction,  that  by  diligently  availing  themselves  of  the 
advantages  afforded  by  the  institution,  the  students  would 
enjoy  the  animating  prospect  of  being  eminently  useful  to 
their  country,  by  aiding  it  in  fulfilling  the  high  moral  obli- 
gations attendant  on  the  possession  of  its  Indian  empire ; 
on  the  discharge  of  which  the  prosperity  and  permanence  of 
that  empire  must  equally  depend. 

The  various  occupations,  however,  of  Mr.  Buchanan  did 
not  induce  him  to  forget  his  friends  in  Europe.  Early  in 
the  year  1802,  his  income  being  now  considerably  augment- 
ed, he,  with  that  filial  piety  which  marked  his  character, 
authorized  his  mother  to  draw  upon  his  agents  for  the  sum 
of  three  hundred  pounds  annually. 

With  Mrs.  Buchanan,  whose  arrival  in  England  has  been 
mentioned,  he  maintained  a  frequent  correspondence.  In 
one  of  his  letters  he  gave  her  an  interesting  sketch  of  Iiis 
early  life ;  some  circumstances  of  which  he  does  not  appear 
to  have  previously  communicate^i  to  her,  and  wiiich  he  ob- 
served might  form  a  good  commentary  on  Isaiah  xlii.  16« 
<i  I  wall  bring  the  blind  by  a  w  ay  that  they  knew^  not,  I  will 
*<  lead  them  in  paths  that  they  have  not  known  :  I  will  make 

a  See  "  The  College  of  Fort  William,"  p.  58,  * 


17^  MEMOIRS  OF 

**  darkness  light  before  them,  and  crooked  things  straight. 
«  These  things  will  I  do  unto  them,  and  not  forsake  them." 

Having  brought  down  his  history  to  the  time  at  which  he 
was  writing,  he  concludes  with  the  following  reflections  on 
his  present  views  and  purposes,  the  piety,  beauty,  and  aff(ec- 
tion  of  which  cannot  but  be  generally  admired. 

"  Such,  my  dearest  Mary,  has  been  my  varied  life,  and 
*'  such  the  wonderful  providence  which  has  watched  over 
<*  me,  during  so  long  a  period.  I  pray  that  now  I  am 
"  settled,  I  may  be  enabled  to  shew  a  heart  fixed  on  my  Sa- 
*i  viour,  and  on  the  ministration  of  his  word.  I  feel  that  no- 
"  thing  in  this  world  can  afford  me  any  delight  equal  to  what 
«  I  hope  to  find  in  the  labour  of  the  everlasting  Gospel.  No 
<«  fortune,  or  rank  in  life,  can  ever  I  think  give  any  solid 
«  comfort  to  my  soul :  nothing  but  heavenly  draughts  can 
*f  quench  my  thirst. 

"  My  infirm  constitution  admonishes  me  not  to  expect  tor 
"  enjoy  life,  as  some  speak ;  and  I  am  thankful  for  every 
"  barrier  which  God  erects  against  my  taking  up  my  rest  in 
^<  this  wilderness.  Let  us  then,  my  dear  Mary,  live  for  the 
"  day,  seeking  that  heavenly  peace,  which  is  always  attain- 
*<  able.  We  have  learnt  from  our  past  experience,  that 
"  <  our  times  are  in  his  hands;'  and  we  shall  confess  at  the 
"  end  that  <  He  hath  done  all  things  well.' 

«« I  feel  a  deep  sense  of  the  importance  of  my  present  situ- 
"  ation,  and  of  the  necessity  of  using  the  talent  committed  to 
*<  my  charge  ;  the  uncertainty  of  having  such  an  useful 
<«  sphere  of  action  much  longer,  or  my  health  continued,  or 
<<  my  reputation  supported ;  these  things  excite  me  to  great- 
"  er  exertions  while  it  is  called  <  to-day.' 

*'  The  society  of  religious  people  here  pray  that  I  may  be 
"  enabled  to  do  something  for  the  Gospel.  I  am  now  in  bet- 
<«  ter  health  than  formerly  .  My  spirits  are  more  alive.  My 
*«  desires  after  a  regular  life  increase ;  and  I  trust  my  hopes 
'^  in  the  Gospel  will  be  fulfilled.  You,  my  beloved  wife,  can 
«  now  pray  mjmth:  a  sense  of  religion  has  visited  you. 
**  Cherish  it  as  the  life  of  your  soul.  Esteem  it  the  pearl  of 
<*  great  price,  far  exceeding  in  value  the  joys  of  your  fami-  * 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  I73 

*<  ly,  or  the  wealth  of  the  Indies.  I  know  that  gay  society 
**  at  home  will  impede  your  progress  for  a  while ;  but  these 
'<  difficulties  are  useful  in  proving  and  trying  us,  and 
<^  bringing  us  forth  like  gold  purified  in  tlie  fire.  It  is  not 
"  preciseness  of  external  conduct,  but  communion  with  God 
"in  prayer  which  forms  the  Christian's  cliaracter.  If  ^ou 
**  continue  to  approach  the  throne  of  grace  with  as  much 
*<  earnestness  as  you  used  when  on  the  great  waters,  you 
**  will  gradually  arrive  at  a  holy  state  of  mind,  pure  satisfac- 
*<  tion  of  soul,  and  inexpressible  delight  in  the  contemplation 
*<  of  the  Gospel.  Christ  will  be  formed  in  you  ;  and  you  will 
<»  begin  to  learn  the  breadth,  and  length,  and  height,  and 
«  depth  of  his  unsearchable  riches. 

<<  All  you  have  to  do  is  to  give  your  testimony  to  the  truth 
"  of  real  religion,  when  opportunities  shall  be  affordod,  in 
«  modesty  and  simplicity ;  alleging  that  the  Gospel  is  not  in 
'(form,  hntinpower;  and  that  we  must  all  suffer  a  change  of 
*f  heart,  before  we  can  enter  the  kinj»:dom  of  God.  This  is  the 
« truth  which  I  maintain  in  my  preaching,  and  it  is  found  to 
"  be  the  only  effectual  doctrine  to  reach  the  hearts  of  men." 

The  close  of  this  truly  interesting  letter  affords  a  most 
substantial  proof  of  the  practical  influence  of  Mr.  Buchan- 
an's principles,  and  of  the  sincerity  of  the  religious  profes- 
sions and  purposes  which  precede  it. 

<*  By  the  last  ships  I  sent  four  hundred  pounds  to  Mr. 
**  H.  Thornton  ;  being  the  amount  of  his  expense  on  my  ac- 
^*  count  at  college  for  four  years,  at  one  hundred  pounds  per 
«  annum.  He  never  expected  that  I  should  repay  him  ;  but 
«  God  has  put  it  in  my  power,  and  therefore  it  is  my  duty. 

"  I  told  him  I  only  sent  it  back  to  the  fountain,  from 
"  whence  it  would  probably  soon  flow  again  in  some  act  of 
<*  benevolence. 

<«  I  also  told  him,  that  I  meant  to  devote  five  hundred 
«  pounds  for  the  support  of  a  young  man  at  the  University, 
«  of  religious  character  and  good  ability,  who  might  be  in 
<«  poor  circumstances  ;  and  whom  he,  or  Mr.  Newton,  or  Dr. 
*^  Milner,  President  of  Queen's  college,  should  select.  At 
"  the  same  time  I  remitted  an  order  on  Messrs.  Boehra  and 


174y  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  Co.  to  Mr.  T.  for  paying  the  sum  of  one  hundred  and 
"  twenty -five  pounds  per  annum,  by  half  yearly  instalments, 
«  for  this  purpose :  and  I  expressed  a  wish  that  the  young 
*<  man  might  prove  an  honour  to  the  Gospel,  and  become  an 
"  useful  labourer  in  his  Master's  vineyard. 

«  While  it  is  in  my  power,  I  wish  to  do  some  good  thing 
<<  for  the  Gospel  of  my  blessed  Lord.  I  may  soon  be  called 
"  hence.  May  I  be  able  to  devote  my  heart  to  his  glory 
*«  while  I  stay  ! 

*'  May  we  be  grateful  stewards  of  God's  blessings,  so 
"  abundant  and  unlooked  for !  And  may  we  continue  daily  to 
"  remember  the  wonderful  way  in  which  we  have  been  led 
<*  from  our  early  years  to  this  day  !" 

Various  motives  might  have  suggested  to  many  men,  pos- 
sessed of  lucrative  appointments,  the  propriety  of  restoring 
to  a  patron  the  sum  which  might  have  been  expended  in  pre- 
paring them  for  their  statitms.  Such  a  step,  however,  might 
not  have  been  distinguished  by  promptness,  and  still  less  by 
any  act  of  spontaneous  liberality.  In  both  these  respects, 
the  conduct  of  Mr.  Buchanan  was  of  a  very  elevated  and 
generous  character.  It  was  but  a  short  time  that  he  had 
enjoyed  an  abundant  income;  he  had  already  two  children, 
for  whom  he  could  as  yet  have  made  but  very  little  provi- 
sion ;  he  was  affording  a  liberal  allowance  to  his  mother ; 
his  own  health  was  precarious,  and  that  of  his  wife  was  sub- 
jecting him  to  the  expense  of  a  voyage  to  England,  with  a 
view  to  her  return  to  India;  the  principal  source  of  his  emo- 
luments was  of  an  uncertain  nature,  and  had,  in  fact,  though 
then  unknown  to  him,  been  already  considerably  diminish- 
ed. Gratitude,  however,  to  his  earthly  benefactor,  and  love 
to  his  divine  Lord  and  Master,  induced  him,  notwithstand- 
ing many  plausible  motives  at  least  to  defer  his  purpose,  at 
once  to  discharge  a  debt  of  kindness,  and  to  fulfil  a  truly 
Christian  design ;  and  under  these  impressions  he  communi- 
cated to  Mr.  Thornton  the  arrangement  which  has  been  al- 
ready detailed.  The  sense  which  that  gentleman  entertain- 
ed of  Mr.  Buchanan's  conduct  was  probably  expressed  in  a 
letter  to  himself:  but  the  only  memorial  of  it  which  remains 
is  in  the  following  letter  to  a  mutual  friend. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  I75 

London,  Dec.  24,  1802. 

"  Dear  Sir, 

*<  I  called  at  your  house  the  other  day,  and  if  I  had  met 
<*  with  you,  I  should  have  informed  you  of  the  letter  which  I 
<Miave  received  from  Mr.  Buchanan.  He  remits  in  it  five 
"  hundred  and  twenty  pounds  ;  of  which  four  hundred  is  in- 
<<  tended  as  a  repayment  to  myself  of  the  four  years  allow- 
«  ance  which  I  made  to  him  at  college,  and  the  remaining 
"  sum  is  to  be  applied  in  a  manner  which  he  directs.  He 
"  moreover  gives  me  a  letter  to  a  house  in  London,  desiring 
"  them  to  pay  me  an  annual  sum  for  four  years,  for  the  edu- 
«  cation  of  such  young  man  for  the  ministry,  as  I,  Mr.  New- 
^«  ton,  and  Dr.  Milner  may  select. 

"  I  am  not  quite  clear  whether  Mr.  Buchanan  at  the  time 
"  of  writing  the  letter  was  apprized  of  all  that  diminution  of 
^«  his  income  which  the  orders  sent  out  from  hence  for  sus- 
«<  pending  the  institution  of  the  college  will  produce  :  and  I 
*«  feel  some  doubt  on  this  account,  whether  either  to  take  or 
"  to  keep  the  four  hundred  pounds.  I  shall  thank  you  for 
<*  any  information  on  this  point  which  you  may  possess;  as 
««  well  as  for  the  mention  of  any  promising  young  man  for  edu- 
*'  cation  at  college,  with  a  view  to  the  ministry  of  the  church. 
'« I  would  also  request  you  to  take  some  occasion  of  expres- 
<«  sing  to  Mr.  Buchanan  the  satisfaction  which  I  felt  at  this 
"  mark  of  integrity,  or  of  something  more  than  integrity,  as 
<<  I  ought  to  term  it,  in  his  conduct.  It  has  raised  him  in  the 
"  opinion  both  of  myself  and  others,  and  it  will  not,  as  I 
<<  am  ])ersiiaded,  be  one  of  the  acts  of  which  he  will  repent 
'<  whenever  he  may  come  to  die.  For  my  own  part,  I  shall 
"  always  hold  that  his  children  will  have  some  claim  upon 
'« me  in  consequence  of  the  return  of  this  money,  in  the 
<«  event  of  their  falling  into  pecuniary  difficulties  ;  and  Pro- 
*«  vidence,  I  am  well  persuaded,  is  wont  to  provide  for  those 
*<  wh(/|r  without  robbing  or  neglecting  their  own  household, 
*  avoid  the  common  eagerness  to  lay  up  for  them. 
"  I  am,  d^ar  Sir, 

^*  Yours  sincerely, 

«  H.  Thornton.'* 


176  MEMOIRS  OF 

It  may  be  satisfactory  to  add  to  the  precedin.e;  letter,  that 
Mr.  Buchanan's  liberal  offer  was  accepted  ;  and  that  a  young 
man,  approved  by  the  three  friends  to  whom  the  selection 
was  referred,  was  afterwards  supported  during  the  usual 
term  of  residence  at  the  University  of  Cambridge  ;  who  is 
now  filling  with  ability  and  credit  a  very  useful  station  in 
the  church. 

Wliile  the  members  of  the  college  of  Fort  William  were 
zealously  and  successfully  occupied  in  the  prosecution  of 
their  labours,  the  Governor  General  in  council,  on  the  15th 
of  June  1802,  received  with  the  utmost  concern  the  com- 
mands of  the  Court  of  Directors  for  the  immediate  abolition 
of  that  important  institution.  On  the  22d  following,  Lord 
Wellesley  communicated  this  despatch  to  Mr.  Buchanan, 
who,  in  common  with  every  other  friend  of  the  college, 
deeply  lamented  this  unexpected  determination  ;  and  direct- 
ed him  to  consider  of  a  reply  to  the  reasons  upon  which  it 
was  professedly  grounded.  Concerning  the  share  which  he 
might  have  had  in  that  which  was  shortly  afterwards  produ- 
ced, it  is  unnecessary  to  inquire.  The  Governor  General 
was  at  all  times  fully  competent  to  the  defence  of  his  own 
measures,  though  he  might,  and  probably  did,  avail  himself 
of  the  talents  and  information  of  those  around  him,  upon 
every  great  question.  It  is  sufficient  to  observe,  that  in  a 
letter*  to  the  chairman  of  the  Court  of  Directors,  dated  the 
5th  of  August  1802,  characterized  by  the  same  ability  which 
had  distinguished  his  minute  in  council,  Marquis  Wellesley 
submitted  to  the  Court  a  general  view  of  the  principles  by 
which  his  conduct  had  been  regulated  relative  to  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  college,  and  of  the  measures  which  he  had 
pui'sued,  on  what  his  Lordship  termed,  the  present  *f  most 
«<  painful  and  afflicting  occasion." 

In  directing  the  immediate  abolition  of  the  college  of  Fort 
William,  the  Governor  General  observed,  the  letter  of  the 
honourable  Court  appeared  to  acknowledge  with  approba- 
tion  the  liberal  and  enlightened  sipirit  of  the  institution,  the 

a  See  "  The  College  of  Tort  WiUiam,"  p.  6? 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  I77 

just  principles  on  which  it  was  founded,  and  the  important 
ends  to  which  it  was  directed.  The  objections  stated  by  the 
Court  against  the  continuance  of  the  establishment  were  ap- 
parently confined  to  its  expense,  and  to  the  pressure  of  that 
chari^e  on  the  present  circumstances  of  the  Company's 
finances  in  India.  The  first  object,  therefore,  of  Lord  Wel- 
lesley,  was,  by  a  minute  detail  of  facts,  to  convince  the 
Court,  that  the  expenses  already  incurred  on  account  of  the 
college  had  not  been  more  considerable  than  was  required 
by  the  magnitude  of  the  objects  proposed  by  the  institution ; 
that  those  expenses  had  been  actually  defrayed  by  new  re- 
sources destined  to  that  express  purpose  ;  and  that  provision 
had  been  secured  for  defraying  the  future  current  expenses 
of  the  college,  without  interfering  with  any  other  branch  of 
the  public  service,  and  without  diminishing  the  scale  of 
their  commercial  investments. 

It  appeared,  however,  to  be  manifestly  the  intention  of  the 
Court  of  Directors,  that  some  establishment  for  the  better 
instruction  of  the  civil  servants  at  each  of  the  Presidencies 
should  subsist  in  India ;  the  outlines  of  which  had  been 
traced  in  their  letter  to  the  Governor  General.  His  Lord- 
ship, therefore,  next  proceeded  to  compare  the  actual  ex- 
pense and  ascertained  benefit  of  the  institution  then  subsist- 
ing at  Fort  William,  with  the  probable  expense  and  probable 
benefit  of  the  seminaries  by  which  the  Court  intended  to 
supersede  that  institution.  The  result  of  this  comparison 
was  stated  to  be,  that  the  necessary  effect  of  the  latter  plan 
would  be  to  involve  the  expense  of  a  triple  establishment  for 
every  branch  of  study,  alike  requisite  at  each  of  the  three 
Presidencies,  which  must  equal,  and  would  probably  exceed, 
the  total  current  charges,  on  the  highest  estimate,  of  the 
college  of  Fort  William. 

The  Court  of  Directors  had  instructed  the  Governor 
General  to  supersede  that  institution,  by  the  revival  of  a 
seminary  of  Mr.  Gilchrist,  the  learned  and  meritorious  Pro- 
fessor of  the  Hindostanee  language,  which  had  existed  pre- 
viously to  the  establishment  of  the  college.  But  no  modifi- 
fication  or  extension  of  that  plan  could,  as  the  Governor 

z 


178  MEMOIRS  OF 

General  contended,  embrace  the  objects  proposed  to  be  se- 
cured  by  the  collegiate  establishment  of  Fort  William  ;  the 
fundamental   defects  of  that  limited   plan   having,   in  fact, 
furnished  rules  for  his  Lordship's  guidance  in  founding  a 
comprehensive  and  liberal  institution  on  the  ground  of  prac- 
tical experience.     These  defects  related   especially  to  the 
want  of  any  means  of  enforcing  a  due  system  of  discipline 
and  study,  in  regulating  private  economy  and  moral  conduct, 
in  precluding  temptation  to  expense,  and  in  guarding  against 
every  vicious   excess  ;  without  which,  great  mischief  would 
be  infused  into  the  students  at  its  very  source,  by  establish- 
ing any  seminary  of  instruction  which  should  require  the 
whole  body  of  the  junior  civil  servants  to  continue  assembled 
for  any  considerable  period  of  time  in  any  part  of  India,  and, 
above  all,  at  the  seats  of  the  respective  Presidencies.     Lord 
AVellesley  therefore  expressed  his  decided  conviction,  that, 
in  addition  to  the  necessary  teachers  and  professors  in  the 
seminary  proposed  by  the  Court  of  Directors,  some  author- 
ity of  the  nature  of  that  exercised  in  colleges  in  Europe,  and 
of  that  then  existing  in  the  college  of  Fort  William,  must  be 
established,  for  the  purpose  of  maintaining  and  promoting 
order   and    discipline,    good   morals   and  religion.     Under 
these  circumstances,  the  final  result  of  the  plan  proposed  by 
the  Court  of  Directors,  of  dividing  the  college  of  Fort  >Vil- 
liam  into  three  seminaries,   to  be  established  separately  at 
each  Presidency,  would   either  be  to  render  each   and  all 
those  seminaries  inefficient  and  dangerous,  or  to  aggravate 
the  collective  expense  of  this  triple  institution  to  an  amount 
greatly  exceeding  the  charges  of  the  united  establishment 
then  existing. 

After  this  comparison  of  the  expenses  and  advantages  of 
these  several  institutions,  the  Governor  General  directed 
the  particular  attention  of  the  Court  to  the  benefits  already 
derived  to  their  civil  service,  from  the  operation  and  effect 
of  the  system  of  study  and  discipline  constituted  and  enfor- 
ced by  the  college  of  Fort  William.  The  general  progress 
of  the  students,  his  Lordship  declared,  in  the  oriental  langua- 
ges and  literature,  had  exceeded  the  most  sanguine  expeeta- 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  I79 

tions  of  the  examiners,  who  had  always  been  selected  from 
the  ablest  oriental  scholars  actually  at  Calcutta,  and  wliose 
voluntary  aid  had   been   afforded  to  support  the   discipline, 
and  to  improve  the  course  of  study,  and  the  mode  of  instruc- 
tion pursued  in  the   institution.     A  spirit  of  emulation  had 
been  excited  among  the  students,  as  unexampled  in  its  scope 
and  ardour,  as  it  was  propitious  to  the  future  government  of 
India.     The  institution   had  already  corrected   many  of  the 
defects   wliich  Lord  Wellesley   had    found   in  the  younger 
branches  of  the  civil  service  upon  his  arrival  in  India,  and 
had  reclaimed  to  industrious  and  laborious  pursuits  many  of 
the  junior  servants,  who  were  disposed  to  pursue  courses  of 
a  contrary  tendency.  That  a  general  disposition  to  economy 
and  regularity  then   prevailed   among  the   students ;    that 
principles  of  due  subordination  had  also  been  established 
among  them  with  the  happiest  success ;  and  that  the  young 
men  then  composing  the  body  of  the  students  at  Fort  Wil- 
liam afforded  the  most  auspicicius  hope,  that  the  local  admin- 
istration of  India  for  several  years  to  come  would  be  amply 
provided  with  instruments  properly  qualified  to  accomplish  all 
the  purposes  of  a  wise,  just,  and  benevolent  government. 

Though  these  and  other  consideraticms  might  have  indu- 
ced the  Governor  General  to  suspend  tiie  execution  of  the 
order  for  the  abolition  of  the  college,  and  to  refer  the  ques- 
tion to  the  further  pleasure  of  the  Court,  the  peculiar  cha- 
racter and  spirit  of  its  commands,  and  the  nature  of  the  in- 
stitution, seemed  to  require  their  immediate  execution.  To 
this  his  Lordship  accordingly  proceeded ;  but  in  fulfilling 
this  painful  duty,  a  most  serious  and  difficult  question  arose 
with  regard  to  the  time  when  the  abolition  of  the  college 
should  take  effect.  The  determination  of  this  question  in- 
volved principles  so  deeply  affecting  thQ  welfare,  future 
prospects,  and  just  expectations  of  the  students,  and  also  the 
consideration  due  to  the  situation  of  the  professors  and  teach- 
ers, and  of  the  numerous  learned  natives  attached  to  the 
institution,  that  Lord  Wellesley  felt  himself  compelled  to 
declare,  that  the  abolition  of  the  college  of  Fort  William 
must  be  gradual  ;  and  that  the  institution  should  not  termi- 


180  MEMOIRS  OF 

nate  previously  to  the  31st  of  December  1803,  when  the 
great  body  of  the  students  then  attached  to  the  college  would 
have  completed  the  course  which  they  had  so  successfully 
commenced.  His  Lordship  finally  observed,  that  he  had 
been  partly  induced  to  protract  the  existence  of  the  institu- 
tion from  the  ho))e,  that  his  preceding  representation  might 
prove  the  means  of  inducing  the  Court  of  Directors  to  re- 
view their  late  orders,  and  to  restore  to  their  civil  service  in 
India  the  inestimable  advantages  which  must  be  destroyed 
by  the  destruction  of  the  college,  and  to  suffer  it  to  remain 
unaltered  until  he  should  have  the  opportunity  of  reporting 
in  person  to  the  Court  the  condition  and  effects  of  the  insti- 
tution, and  of  submitting  to  them  such  details  as  might 
enahle  them  to  exercise  their  final  judgment  on  the  whole 
plan. 

The  foregoing  abstract  of  Marquis  Wellesley's  defence  of 
the  college  of  Fort  William  will  not  be  deemed  irrelevant  to 
the  subject  of  these  Memoirs,  when  it  is  considered  how 
prominent  a  station  Mr.  Buchanan  held  in  that  institution. 
It  is  by  no  means  necessary  for  his  biographer  to  express 
any  opinion  upon  the  merits  of  the  question  between  the 
Governor  General  and  the  Court  of  Directors.  That  of  Mr. 
Buchanan,  as  will  hereafter  frequently  appear,  was  certain- 
ly uniform  and  decided  ;  and  the  subsequent  conduct  of  the 
Directors  themselves  sufficiently  proves,  that  however  they 
might  differ  from  Lord  Wellesley,  and  those  who  thought 
with  him,  as  to  the  detail  of  its  form  and  circumstances, 
they  considered  the  institution  of  the  college  as  a  measure 
of  substantial  wisdom  and  necessity. 

For  the  present  it  was  to  remain,  as  we  have  seen,  unal- 
tered ;  and  on  the  30th  of  June  1802,  a  volume  was  publish- 
ed under  the  superintendence  of  the  Vice-Provost,  entitled, 
<«  Primitise  Orientates  ;  containing  Essays  by  the  students 
<«  of  the  college  of  Fort  William  ;  to  which  are  added,  the 
<*  Theses  pronounced  at  the  public  disputations  in  the  orien- 
«  tal  languages,  on  the  6th  of  February  1802."  The  sub- 
jects of  the  disputations  contained  in  this  volume  are  the 
three  following.     First,  "  An  academical  institution  in  India 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  181 

*<  is  advantageous  to  the  natives  and  to  the  British  nation  ;" 
sustained  in  Persian  bj  Messrs.  Lovett,  Lloyd,  and  Guthrie. 
Secondly,  **  The  Hindostanee  langua.^e  is  the  most  gene  r- 
<'  ally  useful  in  India;"  supported  in  Hindostanee  by  Messrs. 
Bayley,  Lovett,  and  Lloyd.  Thirdly,  »•  The  Asiatics  are 
<*  capable  of  as  high  degrees  of  civilization  as  the  Euro- 
*»peans;"  maintained  in  Bengalee  by  Messis.  Martin,  Bay- 
ley,  and  Hodgson.  The  English  Cvssays  comprised  in  the 
same  volume  were,  first,  **  Un  the  advantages  to  be  expect- 
"  ed  from  an  academical  institution  in  India ;  considt'red 
"  in  a  moral,  literai'y,  and  political  point  of  view  ;"  by 
Messrs.  Martin,  Elliott,  and  Bayley.  Secondly,  «♦  On  the 
^*  best  means  of  acquiring  a  knowledge  of  the  manners  and 
*<  customs  of  the  natives  of  India;"  by  Messrs.  Hamilton, 
Martin,  and  Metcalfe.  Thirdly,  "  On  the  character  and 
*«  capacity  of  the  Asiatics;  and  particularly  of  the  natives 
^<  of  Hindostan  ;"  by  Messrs.  Wood,  Martin,  and  Newnham. 
Many  of  these  compositions  are  higlily  creditable  to  the 
talents,  information,  principles,  and  taste  of  their  authors, 
and  would  bear  a  comparison  with  similar  productions  in  our 
English  Universities. 

Early  in  the  year  i80«3.  Marquis  AYellesley  presided  at 
the  second  annual  disputations  of  the  students  of  the  college 
of  Fort  William.  The  subjects  were  the  advantages  of  the 
British  Government  to  the  natives  of  India,  the  burning 
of  Hindoo  widows,  and  the  distribution  of  Hindoos  into 
castes.  Declamations  were  also  pronounced  for  the  first  time 
in  the  Arabic  language.  After  the  degrees  of  honour  had 
been  conferred,  and  the  prizes  and  rewards  for  proficiency 
both  in  oriental  and  classical  learning  had  been  distributed, 
the  noble  visitor  delivered  a  very  dignified  and  eloquent 
speech,  in  which  he  declared,  in  the  most  public  and  solemn 
manner,  that  the  institution  had  answered  his  most  sanguine 
hopes  and  expectations;  that  its  beneficial  operation  had 
justified  the  principles  of  its  original  foundation  ;  and  that 
the  administration  and  discipline  of  the  college  had  been  con- 
ducted with  honour  and  credit  to  the  character  and  spirit  of 
the  institution,  and  with  great  advantage  to  the  public  ser- 


18^  MEMOIRS  OF 

vice.  Essays  on  the  Mohammedan  conquests  and  govern- 
ment in  India,  and  on  the  restoration  of  learning  in  the  East, 
by  several  of  the  students,  were  afterwards  published,  to- 
gether with  the  preceding  disputations  and  declamations,  in 
the  second  volume  of  the  "  Primitise  Orientales." 

In  the  spring  of  this  year  Mr.  Buchanan  received  letters 
from  his  wife,  whose  health  appeared  to  be  considerably  re- 
stored by  her  visit  to  her  native  country,  announcing  her 
intention  of  leaving  England  in  the  month  of  January. 
<*  This,"  said  he,  in  a  letter  to  the  friend,  in  whose  family 
she  had  resided  some  months  during  her  visit,  <^  was  joyful 
"  intelligence  to  me.  In  two  or  three  months  hence,  I  may 
"  be  blessed  with  seeing  her  again.  When  she  mentions  her 
*«  affectionate  intimacy  with  your  family,  she  writes  in  tears. 
"But  I  see  evidently  that  it  is  the  Gospel  union  which  so 
*«  powerfully  awakens  her  heart  in  speaking  of  the  happiness 
*«  of  her  residing  with  you.  I  expect  that  slie  will  do  good 
**  in  the  Carmarthen,  and  I  hope  she  will  do  good  in  Calcut- 
*<  ta.  She  comes  out  to  a  promising  scene  of  joy  ;  to  see 
"  her  little  Augusta,  now  grown  up  a  healthy  and  talkative 
«  girl ;  calling  out  for  mamma  for  two  years  past  in  vain. 
*<  And  she  comes  out  to  many,  who  love  and  respect  her, 
<^  and  to  some  who  have  learnt  during  her  absence  to  love 
«*  *  the  excellent  of  the  earth.' 

"  I  have  now  a  house  in  the  country,  about  three  miles 
*<  from  Calcutta,  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  where  she  may 
"  sleep  occasionally,  and  retire  from  company.  I  spend 
"  three  or  four  solitary  evenings  every  week  in  Garden 
«  Reach.  The  change  of  place  and  air  refreshes  me  for  the 
« labours  of  the  succeeding  day.  Augusta  and  I  play  to- 
"  gether  in  the  groves,  and  tlien  return  by  water  to  Calcut- 
*<  ta.  A  gentleman  leaving  India  sent  me  his  boat  as  a  pre- 
«  sent  to  Mary  when  she  comes  out.  I  find  the  river  air 
<«  very  salutary  and  renovating,  and  perhaps  she  will  find  it 
"  so  too.  But  our  pleasures  at  Clapham  or  on  the  Ganges 
"  are  transitory.  May  they  be  so  tempered  with  prayer,  as 
*<  to  prepare  us  both  for  the  pleasures  of  that  *  other  country,' 
»*  where  there  will  be  no  separation,  and  where  the  inhabit^ 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  igg 

«  ants  will  never  say,  '  I  am  sick !'  Mrs.  B.  mentions  the 
♦*  circumstances  of  your  illness  with  a  lively  concern,  min- 
"  gled  with  a  sensation  of  pleasure.  Her  hours  passed  by 
«  your  sick  couch  were  delightful.  Providence  hath  well 
'i  ordered  her  steps.  It  may  be,  indeed,  that  I  shall  never 
<^see  her  ^  or  that  I  shall  contemplate  her  departing  spirit 
"for  a  short  time,  in  her  emaciated  frame.  But  then  God 
«'  hath  made  with  her  a  covenant  well-ordered  and  sure ! 
"  Thus  it  is  with  my  house.  And  this  is  my  joy.  Thus 
<*  God  hath  blessed  our  short  sojourn  together;  and  the  end 
<'  will  be  an  eternal  song  of  glory  to  his  redeeming  love." 

Tliough  the  fears,  which  Mr.  Buchanan  expresses  with  so 
much  tenderness  and  piety  as  to  the  probably  short  period 
of  his  reunion  with  his  wife,  were  but  too  well  founded,  it  is 
pleasing  to  reflect,  that  he  was  gratified  by  again  seeing  her 
in  India.  She  embarked  on  board  the  Carmarthen  in  the 
month  of  February ;  and,  as  Mr.  Buchanan  had  anticipated, 
the  piety  of  her  mind  was  displayed  during  the  voyage  by 
her  endeavours  to  promote  the  religious  improvement  of  two 
young  ladies,  one  of  whom  had  been  placed  under  her  pro- 
tection. Mrs.  Buchanan  had  a  more  favourable  voyage  than 
in  returning  to  Europe,  and  arrived  safely  at  Calcutta  on 
the  24th  of  August. 

The  remainder  of  the  letter  from  which  an  interesting 
passage  respecting  Mrs.  Buchanan  has  just  been  extracted, 
is  occupied  with  the  important  subject  of  the  college  of  Fort 
William  ;  in  which,  though  some  things  occur  similar  to 
those  which  have  been  already  stated  from  the  public  letter 
of  Lord  Wellesley,  many  additional  facts  and  sentiments 
are  contained,  more  particularly  with  reference  to  Mr.  Bu- 
chanan himself,  which  it  may  be  proper  to  insert. 

^*  You  say,"  he  continues,  **  that  you  hear  the  college  is 
«  abolished.  It  has  been  long  abolished  in  London,  but  it 
<« still  exists  here,  in  greater  spirit  and  utility  than  ever; 
«  and  it  must  continue  to  exist,  (though  perhaps  under  a  dif- 
««  ferent  name,)  as  long  as  the  British  empire  reigns  iw  In- 
•«  dia.  To  send  a  young  man  adrift  in  the  upper  provinces, 
'^  without  any  knowledge  of  the  languages,  and  without  any 


IS!  MEMOIRS  OF 

*«  official  preparation,  is  now  utterly  impossible.  The  good 
**  sense  ot  young  men  themselves  would  deprecate  it.  Every 
*<one  here  sees  that  the  body  of  civil  servants  educated 
<*  these  three  years  in  the  college  of  Fort  William  will  by 
<«  and  by  govern  India.  Many  of  them  are  already  approach- 
*<  ing  to  tlie  most  responsible  situations.  The  body  of  juniors 
«<that  follow,  if  left  in  their  native  ignorance,  will  be  held  in 
<«  comparative  contempt,  and  must  ever  feel  the  injustice 
«'  done  to  them. 

**  The  Directors  wish  the  institution  to  be  called  a  stmi- 
*«  nary,  and  thi  n  the;^  will  support  it.  I  have  no  objection 
<«  to  the  name,  provided  that  the  young  nien  are  taught ;  and 
"  they  must  be  taught  in  future.  You  might  as  well  think 
"  of  abolishing  the  sclmtds  in  London,  as  abolishing  schools 
"  in  Calcutta.  1  bus  much  then  has  been  effected  by  the 
"  institution  of  the  college.  Education  has  been  proved  to 
*<  be  useful  in  India.  Of  the  students  who  have  just  left  col- 
*<  lege,  only  eight  out  of  thirty  have  contracted  any  debt. 
«  Many  of  them  have  saved  money ;  a  thing  unheard  of  in 
<*  India,  and  by  the  old  civil  servants  accounted  impossible. 
"  This  is  the  point  to  which  the  public  attention  is  turned. 
<«  The  reign  of  native  mcmey  lenders  is  now  at  an  end.  But 
<*  a  school  or  seminary  directed  by  native  moonshees,  and 
«  destitute  of  the  high  and  respectable  jurisdiction  of  learn* 
«  ed  and  religious  men,  would  never  be  able  to  effect  this 
«« desirable  purpose.  I'he  authority  and  the  honours  of  a 
"  college  are  alone  competent  to  restrain  a  body  of  young 
«  men  of  good  families  and  fla' tering  prospects  in  this  luxu- 
♦*  rious  and  deteriorating  country.  That  ever  such  an  ob- 
« jpctiori  as  that  of  expense  should  have  been  urged  by  the 
<*  Diroctors  appears  to  me  unaccountable.  The  expense, 
"  whatever  it  has  been,  is  now  amply  liquidated ;  and  in  a 
**  manner  more  favouriible  to  the  interests  of  the  Company 
"than  if  the  sum  had  been  paid  into  their  treasury  ;  with 
*<  some  advantage  of  health,  of  morals,  and  of  learning,  and 
«  with  some  co<  rcion  of  the  native  ascendancy,  which  has 
«  ever  been  deemed  the  bane  of  the  British  administration 
«<  in  India. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  185 

"  Satisfied,  however,  with  the  good  which  has  been  done 
♦*  by  the  institution,  we  wait  submissively  for  the  period  of 
♦«  its  regular  dissolution  ;  Avliich  will  be  in  December  next. 
"  Even  were  it  to  continue  in  its  present  state,  or  in  one  yet 
"  more  improved  and  respectable,  I  should  not  desire  to 
«  bear  a  part  in  it.  1  have  weak  health.  My  heart  seeks 
*<  to  be  disengaged  from  collegiate  labours,  and  to  find  rest 
«  and  refreshment  in  the  one  spiritual  work  of  the  everlast- 
^<  ing  Gospel,  f'ortune  or  fame  cannot  add  an  hour's  hap- 
^'piness  to  my  present  existence ;  but  they  may  interrupt 
*<  it.  1  feel  a  secret  pleasure  in  the  purpose  of  the  Direc- 
<«  tors  to  abolish  the  college,  as  it  respects  myself;  but  I 
«  feel  at  the  same  time  that  its  continuance  under  other  men 
<•  would  be  favourable  to  my  evangelical  labours  in  this 
*f  country. 

*<  In  perfect  confidence,  therefore,  that  God  will  order  all 
*<  things  aright,  in  time,  manner,  and  event,  I  implore  thedi- 
<*  rection  of  his  Spirit  to  improve  « the  passing  day.'  My 
«  chief  source  of  despondency  at  times  is  the  want  of  fellow - 
«  labourers,  of  learned  and  serious  men,  in  this  vineyard, 
<*  where  there  is  so  numerous  a  body  of  well-educated  young 
*<  men. 

*«  I  would  willingly  at  this  moment  give  50,000  rupees 
"  for  two  religious  and  respectable  young  men  established 
*<  in  the  church  of  Calcutta,  and  capable  of  conducting  the 
"  studies  of  the  college.  Foreseeing  where  we  were  likely 
<*  to  fail,  I  took  early  measures  to  procure  such  from  home  ; 
<*  both  by  addressing  Lord  Weliesley,  and  by  writing  my- 
*^  self.  But  we  have  not  succeeded.  But  this  also  is  direct- 
**  ed  by  an  all-wise  Providence ;  and  he  will  accomplish  his 
•*  glory  by  any  means." 

Tlie  following  letter  to  Mr.  Grant  enters  still  more  fully 
into  the  interesting  subject  of  the  college,  and  contains  some 
particulars  respecting  Mr.  Buchanan's  lectures  as  classical 
professor,  which  have  not  been  before  mentioned.  What- 
ever may  have  been  the  sentiments  of  the  distinguished  Di- 
rector to  whom   this  letter  was  addressed,  it  cannot  but  be 


186  MEMOIRS  OF 

considered  most  honourable  to  the  talents  and  principles  of 
its  author. 

"  Cakutta,  22d  August,  18U3. 

*<  Dear  Sir, 

«  Your  letter  of  January  last,  introducing  your  nepliews,  I 
«  have  received.  You  may  be  assured  of  my  rendering  them 
♦^  every  service  in  my  power,  both  in  the  superintendence 
*<  of  their  moral  conduct,  and  of  their  progress  in  learning. 

<*  Circumstances  are  not  so  favourable  at  present  to  a  well 
"  disposed  youth  newly  arrived,  as  at  an  earlier  era  of  the 
*'*  college. 

*<  The  repeated  shocks  the  institution  has  sustained  from 
^>  home,  and  its  often  predicted  dissolution  here,  have  been 
«*  injurious  to  its  religious  and  moral  influence.  On  the  ar- 
*^  rival  of  the  Court's  letter,  abolishing  the  college,  the  stu- 
•'  dents  found  that  religion  and  morality  formed  no  part  of 
« the  plan  proposed  as  a  substitute.  And  so  absolutely  did 
"  they  consider  the  Court's  opinion  to  be  favourable  to  the 
<«  old  system  of  relaxed  morals  and  contracting  debt,  that 
« they  circulated  a  placard  in  college,  containing  a  parody 
"  of  Henry  the  Fourth's  speech  to  his  son  ;  beginning  with 
<*  these  lines. 

"Pluck  down  my  officers;  break  liiy  decrees; 

*'  For  now  a  time  is  come  to  mock  at  form. 

**  Have  you  a  ruffi;in  (a  wi'itei )  that  will  swear,  drink,  dance, 

"England  (the  Court)  sliall  double  gihl  his  treble  guilt,"  &c, 

<<  The  religious  people  here  perceived  the  bad  consequen- 
**  ces  immediately.  Old  Mr.  Obeck,  whose  hopes  of  the 
"good  effects  of  the  institution  had  ever  been  sanguine, 
"sighed  from  his  heart,  and  exclaimed,  *  Cruel,  cruel !' 
"  while  the  black  banians  and  the  old  leaven  in  the  service 
<«  grinned  their  ghastly  exultation. 

**  Order  and  discipline  were  nevertheless  preserved  in  the 
«  exterior.  But  the  wound  inflicted  by  that  letter  on  tlie 
<*  growing  honour  of  religion  and  exemplary  morals  is  not 
«  healed  to  this  day.  The  first  symptoms  appeared  in  the 
"  gradual  secession  of  the  students  from  the  mission  church 
"  in  the  evening. 


DR.  BUCHANAN. 


187 


«  At  the  present  time  the  regular  and  well  disposed  youths 
*' attend  church  either  morning  or  evening;  hut  in  small 
^'  proportion,  compared  to  the  former  number. 

**  As  to  general  good  order,  attention  to  lectures,  success 
<«  in  study,  and  dread  of  debt,  there  cannot  be  a  college  in 
"  Europe  in  a  better  state.  If  a  young  man  is  faulty  in 
"these  points,  lie  is  sent  up  the  country  on  the  old  systevif 
*^  in  the  character  of  an  *  ignorant  assistant,'  to,  it  may  be, 
•<  an  ignorant  judge.  The  frequent  letters  sent  in  of  late  to 
««  government  by  these  expelled  members  petitioning  to  be 
*<  restored  to  college,  will  appear  to  you  some  argument  in 
<*  favour  of  the  institution  ;  when  you  consider  that  at  this 
<•  moment  we  know  nothing  of  the  Court's  intentions  on  the 
"  subject,  and  think  the  abolition  of  the  college  as  likely 
<*  as  not. 

"  Your  nephews  have  been  now  attached  to  the  college  for 
*<  two  weeks.  The  report  made  to  me  yesterday  by  their 
♦<  professor  is  favourable  to  their  diligence.  But  they  have  to 
«  contend  with  some  formidable  rivals,  who  commence  their 
'« studies  with  them.  Of  these  two  or  three  have  not  a  sin- 
♦<  gle  friend  here,  except  their  official  friends  in  collegCc 
•«  And  this  circumstance  sometimes  makes  a  rival  formida* 
*•  ble ;  his  hope  of  promotion  depending  on  the  college 
♦^  alone. 

"  The  appointments  continue  to  be  made  according  to 
"  merit.  Of  the  eleven  students  belonging  to  the  Presidency 
"  of  Bengal,  who  entered  on  the  public  service  this  year, 
*<  the  two  highest  in  proficiency,  Messrs.  Bayley  and  Martin, 
♦•  had  their  choice  of  situations  ;  and  are  in  the  diplomatic 
♦<  department  in  the  Governor  General's  office.  The  next 
•'  four  were  appointed  to  registerships ;  and  ^the  five  low- 
"  est  to  assistantships. 

"  Letters  of  recommendation  from  England  are  of  no 
♦'  avail.  Lord  Wellesley  once  observed,  that,  of  those  young 
**  men  who  had  brought  him  letters  from  the  king's  ministers 
<«  and  others,  the  greater  part  had  been  expelled  from  col- 
♦♦  lege,  or  were  in  the  lowest  classes. 


188  MEMOIRS  OF 

*' I  doubt  not  but  you  and  the  whole  Court  are  by  this 
"time  satisfied  of  the  vast  accession  to  the  interests  of  the 
"  Company,  derived  from  the  juniors  of  the  last  two  years 
*'  enterins:  their  service,  unincumbered  by  debt. 

<<  The  extent  of  this  good,  either  as  referrin.i^  to  the  morals 
"  and  fortune  of  the  individual,  or  to  his  fidelity  and  exer- 
"tion  for  the  public  service,  cannot  be  calculated  liere.  It 
"  is  admitted,  as  if  by  acclamation,  throughout  the  British 
"  territories  in  India. 

**  You  must  also  have  heard  of  the  good  effects  of  the  in- 
"  stitution  on  the  general  health  of  the  students  ;  resulting 
♦<  from  their  regular  habits  of  study,  in  a  climate,  where  ex- 
<*  posure  to  the  sun  is  so  baneful  to  youth  on  their  first 
*<  arrival. 

"  Never,  perhaps,  was  there  an  institution  in  any  age  or 
♦*  country  raised  so  rapidly  on  so  doubtful  a  foundation,  or 
"  which  flourished  so  extensively  under  such  severe  assaults, 
"  or  which  produced  so  much  of  public  and  of  private  benefit, 
<*  in  so  short  a  space  of  time,  as  the  college  of  Fort  William 
"  in  Bengal. 

"  The  gazette  you  will  receive  herewith,  though  published 
"  in  course,  is  amplified  at  this  time,  in  anticipation  of  the 
«  dissolution  of  the  college  by  the  Court;  and  is  intended  as 
«'  a  monument  of  wliat  the  college  rvas, 

"  Many  a  parent  in  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  who  reads 
*<  this  gazette,  will  lament  that  it  should  be  the  last. 

"  Those  gratifying  half-yearly  reports  of  the  health  and 
f'  studies  of  their  sons  in  this  distant  country  (where  sons 
"  are  so  negligent  in  writing  to  their  parents)  will  now  be 
<*  withheld ;  one  of  the  chains  of  aff"ection  will  be  broken, 
*<  and  one  of  the  chief  incentives  to  good  conduct,  destroyed. 

**  Of  your  own  good  wishes  for  the  success  of  this  institution, 
"  I  never  entertained  a  doubt.  And  I  even  believe  that  your 
<<  influence  in  the  direction  will  induce  them  to  qualify  their 
<•' late  letter  of  abolition.  But  it  is  not  probable  that  any 
<«  thing  less  than  the  ample  support  of  the  first  principles 
*<  and  first  establishment  of  the  institution  will  restore  it  to 
"  its  first  dignity,  or  maintain  its  present  effect. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  igcj 

*<  In  the  midst  of  this  uncertainty  we  <  are  sure  that  the 
^*Lord  reigneth;'  and  that  His  (gracious  providence  hath 
"  ordered  all  things  aright ;  hath  produced  the  good  already 
<*  done,  and  will  overrule  the  evil,  past  and  to  come,  to  his 
"own  glory,  and  the  ^ood  ot'his  faithful  church  on  earth. 

"  It  is  now  upwards  of  three  years  since  I  was  appointed 
"  to  offices  in  this  college  ;  and,  as  I  before  mentioned  to  you, 
*<  every  collegiate  object  of  a  privato  nature  is  extinct  in  my 
*'  breast ;  and  I  would  gladly  resign  my  situation  to  some 
*»  other  person  of  more  ability,  health,  and  spirits,  even  in 
**  the  event  of  the  Court's  increasing  the  first  dignity  and 
<*  importance  of  the  institution.  What  I  write  to  you  comes 
**  really  from  an  indifferent  person. 

*«  If  God  were  pleased  to  give  me  my  heart's  desire,  he 
•^  would  give  me  more  grace  and  a  greater  sense  of  the  value 
"  of  souls  ;  with  a  measure  of  better  health  and  more  undis- 
<«  turbed  leisure  to  make  known  the  glory  of  his  Gospel 
"  among  his  people  here,  during  the  short  period  that  may 
fi  be  allotted  to  my  ministry. 

*«  But  I  may  add,  for  your  consideration,  in  the  event  of 
*«  your  continuing  a  clergyman  to  govern  the  college,  that 
**  his  establishment  must  be  made  equal  to  that  of  a  senior 
<*  civil  servant  in  the  higher  departments.  If  the  church 
<«  had  dignity  in  India,  that  miglit  suffice.  But  in  present 
*•  circumstances,  the  governor  of  the  whole  body  of  the  junior 
<<  civil  servants  cannot  possibly  be  inferior  in  rank  and  es- 
*•  tablishment  to  a  senior  civil  servant.  If  he  be  inferior,  he 
'•  will  never  be  able  to  preserve  the  necessary  authority  and 
**  respect,  whatever  his  character,  his  ability,  or  acquire- 
<'  ments  may  be. 

'•  And  this  has  been  hitherto  the  most  material  defect  in 
"  the  institution. 

"  One  other  point  I  may  mention,  as  for  the  last  time,  and 
*•'  wliich  is  of  equal  importance;  and  that  is,  that  the  union 
"of  the  three  Presidencies  in  one  institution  has  been  now 
<•  demonstrated  to  be  the  best  and  perhaps  the  only  mode  oC 
"' eifecting  the  purposes  intended;  in  promoting  a  raj)id 
"  knowledge  of  the  languages,  and  a  knowledge  of  public 


190  MEMOIRS  OF 

<^  business,  in  encouraging  honourable  and  temperate  conduct 
<^  under  the  eye  of  the  supreme  authority,  and  in  facilitating 
<«  the  future  administration  of  the  country  by  a  concert  of 
'<  principles  and  a  personal  knowledge  of  character. 

« Whatever  good  the  private  schools,  proposed  by  the 
"  Court  at  the  different  Presidencies,  may  do,  (and  they  will 
<<  do  a  little,)  they  can  never  produce  some  of  the  effects  to 
"  which  I  allude  at  all;  and  none  of  them  in  a  degree  equal 
«<  to  what  has  been  already  done  at  this  college. 

*<  Five  students  have  lately  proceeded  to  Madras,  who 
<<  will  in  a  short  time  be  qualified  to  govern  the  country ; 
"  wliether  you  require  great  talents,  oriental  knowledge, 
"classical  learning,  prudent  and  upright  conduct,  or  (I  can 
"  add  of  two  of  them)  a  just  sense  of  religion. 

<«  Now  the  local  position  of  these  five  young  men  for  the 
«« last  three  years  at  Madras  rather  than  at  Calcutta,  would 
<<  not  have  answered  any  important  purpose  that  I  can  con- 
«  ceive  ;  or,  as  they  often  told  me,  that  they  could  ever  con- 
"  ceive.  And  the  evidence  of  the  young  men's  letters  after 
«  their  return  to  their  respective  Presidencies  is  conclusive 
«  on  this  subject. 

<»  I  began  this  letter  with  the  mention  of  your  nephews, 
*<  They  have  the  happiness  of  being  placed  where  exemplary 
*<  morals  will  be  encouraged  if  they  have  a  disposition  to 
«  profess  them.  The  daily  inspection  of  their  conduct  will 
"fall  to  the  lot  of  the  individual  families  with  whom  they 
«  reside,  Mr.  Udny  and  Major  Fraser.  In  my  present  si- 
"  tuation  I  can  seldom  see  the  students  but  when  they  re- 
"  quire  admonition  or  deserve  praise. 

«  Of  those  indeed  who  attend  the  classical  lectures  I  gain 
«  a  more  intimate  knowledge. 

<*  Continuance  in  my  class  can  only  be  maintained  by  ex- 
«  emplary  conduct,  and  by  honourable  progress  in  the  ori- 
"  ental  languages.  And  these  qualifications  have  cliarac- 
"  tcrized  my  pupils  to  this  time,  almost  without  exception. 

"  In  many  cases  a  personal  friendship  has  been  formed, 
«  which  has  proved  of  much  service  to  me  in  regulating  the 
"  manners  of  the  other  students.  Of  these  my  young  friends, 


DR.  BUCHANAN. 


191 


*<  some  have  now  proceeded  to  Bombay,  some  to  Madras, 
"  and  some  to  the  provinces  attached  to  this  Presidency. 
**  And  they  seem  to  value  our  acquaintance  now  as  much  as 
«*  formerly;  and  frequently  favour  me  with  letters  on  the 
«  subject  of  their  studies,  or  on  the  state  of  affairs  at  their 
*^  respective  stations. 

*'  But  it  is  not  always  that  a  well  disposed  young  man  can 
*«  attend  my  lectures.  His  previous  knowledge  of  classics 
<«  may  be  so  inconsiderable,  that  he  is  incompetent  to  join 
^<  a  class;  and  I  have  no  time  for  individual  instruct  on.  Or 
♦^  it  may  happen  that  his  progress  in  the  oriental  languages 
"is  very  slow  and  unsatisfactory  to  his  professor;  in  which 
«^  case  he  is  not  permitted  to  expend  time  on  the  classics. 
"  At  all  events  it  is  not  till  after  a  term  or  two,  when  his  ac- 
"f  quirements  and  talents  are  known,  that  he  is  admitted.  So 
"  that  your  nephews  cannot  resume  the  study  of  their  Euro- 
«  pean  learning  for  some  months.  And  this  makes  it  doubt- 
<*  ful  whether  they  will  ever  be  my  pupils,  as  I  wish  to  ex- 
"  onerate  myself  from  the  classical  department,  immedi- 
«  ately  on  the  arrival  of  your  letter  to  the  Governor  Gene- 
**  rai,  whether  that  letter  confirm  the  institution  or  not. 

"  I  shall  however  feel  warmly  interested  in  young  men 
*«  so  nearly  related  to  you,  and  whose  welfare  you  have  so 
<<  much  at  heart. 

<^  Mrs.  Buchanan  is  not  yet  arrived.  I  have  heard  of  her 
»«  good  health  at  St.  Helena,  and  of  her  pious  care  of  two 
*<  young  ladies  whom  she  found  on  board  ship.  One  of  them 
"  comes  out  to  her  father,  who  was  once  commander  of  a 
«<  country  ship  :  but  she  comes  out  to  disappointment ;  for 
"  he  is  now  reduced  to  beggary,  and  banished  from  society 
"by  his  worthless  character;  so  that  I  suppose  Mrs.  B. 
"  will  not  think  it  right  to  resign  her  charge.  Tiio  young 
"  lady  bears  an  amiable  character,  and  is  well  educated. 
^*  And  from  «  her  attending  prayers  in  Mrs.  B^s  cabin  morn- 
<«  ing  and  evening,  and  reading  the  Scriptures  with  much 
"  interest  and  affection,'  (a  circumstance  which  Mrs.  B. 
"  mentions  in  her  letter  to  me,)  we  may  look  for  the  best 
"  fruits,  and  hope  that  she  is  acquiring  a  consolation  that 
^f  will  triumph  over  her  misfortune. 


19^  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  Mr.  Brown  is  in  his  usual  state  of  doubtful  health  ;  doubt- 
"  ful  also  whether  he  shall  go  home  or  stay  in  India ;  but  he 
"  is  constant  and  faithful  in  his  charge  over  his  faithful 
<^  people.    . 

«  I  have  written  to  you  a  long  letter ;  and,  according  to 
"  my  dawk  book,  it  is  the  thirteenth  within  the  last  eigh- 
"  teen  incmths.  You  will  not  expect  frequent  letters  from 
"  me  for  the  future.  I  consider  this  as  my  winding  up  let- 
«  ter ;  like  that  of  a  merchant  who  is  about  to  retire  from 
*^  business,  and  wishes  to  settle  his  accounts. 

'«  To  Mr.  Newton  I  wrote  lately  ;  and  I  could  wish  you  to 
"  communicate  to  him  this  letter  if  he  be  able  to  read  it. 

^<  To  his  pious  affection  and  fatherly  counsel  it  has  been 
'<  owing,  under  the  wonder-working  providence  of  God,  that 
'^  the  junior  servants  of  the  East  India  Company  have  been 
«*  placed  for  the  last  three  years  under  my  superintendance. 

"  By  Mr.  Thornton's  means  also,  and  by  yours,  this  dis- 
*^  pensation  has  been  directed. 

<*  I  remain,  dear  Sir, 

«  With  much  regard, 
a  Yery  sincerely  yours, 
*<  C.  Buchanan.** 

The  number  of  Mr.  Buchanan's  correspondents  was  this 
year  increased  by  the  return  to  Europe  of  Major  Sandys; 
who  in  a  season  of  severe  domestic  affliction  had  been  led  to 
search  the  Scriptures  for  consolation ;  and  to  whom  the  faith- 
ful preaching  of  Mr.  Brown  and  Mr.  Buchanan  had  been 
blessed  as  the  means  of  bringing  him  to  the  knowledge  of 
the  Gospel,  from  the  proud  holds  of  philosophical  infidelity. 
To  this  gentleman,  with  whom  Mr.  Buchanan  afterwards 
maintained  an  uninterrupted  and  affectionate  intercourse, 
he  wrote  in  the  month  of  June  as  follows. 

"I  suppose  you  will  have  seen  all  your  friends  by  this 
*«  time,  and  settled  your  plans.  I  am  anxious  to  know  how 
<<  you  find  yourself,  after  a  year's  residence  in  England.  We 
"  do  as  usual  in  Calcutta.  Serious  religion  appears  to  in- 
"  crease.     Mr.  Check  is  yet  alive,  but  declining  fast.     He 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  I93 

•<  begs  his  blessing  on  you,  whom  he  calls  a  <  young  man/ 
*«  and  wishes  you  a  long  Christian  life.  You  are  quite  for- 
<«  gotten  by  the  gay  world  here  ;  even  by  those  who  used  to 
^t feast  with  you  sometimes.  Those  who  are  always  asking 
<*  me  about  you  are  the  poor  people  who  knew  you  but  half 
<(  a  year. 

"...  and  .  .  .  are  labouring  at  their  docks  and  accounts  ; 
<*  thinking  often  of  England,  and  sometimes  of  another 
<«  world. 

"  Since  you  and  Prole  left  me,  I  have  had  no  hooka.  I  do 
"  not  yet  find  the  abstinence  of  much  service ;  farther  than 
"  tliat  it  saves  time,  now  and  then.  The  advantage  of  the 
**  hooka  was,  that  I  could  easily  compose  myself  for  composi- 
<i  tion  by  its  help. 

<*  The  whole  settlement  is  at  present  in  agitation,  giving 
«  Lord  W.  a  public  entertainment.  The  hawk  as  usual  on 
<*  the  steeple  looks  down  in  amazement  at  the  bustle.  It 
<<  costs  sixty  thousand  rupees. 

*<....  is  sick.  He  has  had  many  attacks.  She  seeks 
*<  comfort  at  church  ;  and  he  begins  to  think,  perhaps,  that 
*<  he  can  obtain  it  no  where  else. 

"But  your  interest  in  all  these  Calcutta  matters  will 
"  weaken  every  month.  That  the  Gospel  is  honoured  will 
"  be  to  you  the  most  welcome  and  the  most  interesting  news. 
"  Adieu,  my  dear  Sandys." 

The  following  is  an  extract  from  a  second  letter  of  Mr. 
Buchanan  to  Major  Sandys,  dated  early  in  September. 

**  Your  letter  from  St.  Helena  I  have  just  received  by 
"  Mrs.  Buchanan,  who  arrived  there  the  day  after  you  had 
«  sailed.  Mary  is  much  improved  in  health,  and  greatly 
*<  matured  in  spiritual  knowledge,  strength,  and  grace ; 
<*  which  is  the  chief  theme  of  my  happiness.  Her  missing 
"  you  was  a  keen  disappointment  at  the  moment.  But  she 
"  soon  reflected,  that  God  had  ordered  it  for  wise  and  gra- 
"  cious  purposes,  and  then  she  submitted.  She  opened  your 
« letters  to  me  which  she  found  at  Major  Greentree's.  These 
**  letters  astonished  her  beyond  measure.  She  thought  that 
"  you  had  yet  been  a  man  of  the  world,  (for  she  had  not 

B  2 


194  MEMOIRS  OF 

'*  heard  that  your  affliction  had  been  sanctified  to  you ;) 
"  but  behold  she  found  you  to  be  a  child  of  God  ;  your  un- 
*•  derstanding  illuminated  with  knowledge,  and  your  heart 
*»  expanding  with  love,  hope,  joy,  zeal,  and  all  the  charities. 
"  She  lamented  that  she  had  no  Christian  near  lier,  to  whom 
♦*  she  might  in  pious  confidence  communicate  these  happy 
«<  news.  So  she  disburdened  her  heart  by  writing  a  letter 
'<  to  me. 

**  I  was  rejoiced  to  find  by  your  letters  that  the  Gospel  is 
"  still  glorious  in  your  view,  and  that  the  world  and  its  vani- 
«  ties  had  not  obscured  the  heavenly  vision.  May  this  hap- 
*<  py  state  be  ever  yours  without  alloy  or  reverse,  but  such 
*<  as  may  be  necessary  to  confirm,  and  strengthen,  and  per- 
»<  feet  you  in  the  inner  man." 

By  a  letter  of  the  same  date  as  the  preceding,  Mr.  Bu- 
chanan communicated  to  Mr.  Elliott  an  affecting  but  con- 
soling account  of  the  death  of  his  son ;  who  in  consequence 
of  his  distinguished  proficiency  in  oriental  learning  had 
been  appointed  by  Marquis  Wellesley  secretary  to  an  em- 
bassy to  Arabia;  but  who,  after  having  fulfilled  with  great 
ability  the  duties  of  his  mission,  fell  a  victim  to  a  fever  in 
that  country,  and  as  a  mark  of  peculiar  honour  was  interred 
in  the  garden  of  the  Imam  of  Senna. 

To  the  same  friend  Mr.  Buchanan  again  wrote  in  the 
course  of  the  month  as  follows. 

"  Your  letter  by  Mrs.  Buchanan  I  received  about  a  month 
*<  ago  ;  since  which  time  no  ship  for  Europe  has  sailed.  I 
<' thank  you  for  the  <  Christian  Observer.'  You  wish  me  to 
"  furnish  some  papers  for  it.  Mr.  Thornton  w  rote  to  me  on 
<«the  same  subject:  but  I  answered  him  that  my  present  avo- 
"  cations  will  not  permit  it.  A  period  of  leisure  may  perhaps 
"  soon  be  granted  to  me.  But  ti»is  is  not  the  only  objection  to 
*«  my  furnishing  you  with  the  life  of  Mr.  Swartz.  He  left 
<'  no  papers ;  and  those  persons  are  now  removed  who  could 
"  give  the  best  information.  He  also  deprecated  posthu- 
"  mous  praise ;  and  was  in  constant  dread  of  fame.  He  con- 
<<  cealed  often  from  Mr.  Check  (his  only  friend  at  one  time) 
*«  his  favoured  seasons  from  on  high. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  l^g 

*^  Mrs.  Buchanan  is  quite  surprised  to  find  so  much  vital 
**  religion  amongst  us.  My  responsibility  in  college  is 
<<  greater  at  present  than  formerly  ,•  but  the  answer  of  the 
<*  Court  will  determine  many  points  :  and  as  far  as  relates 
"  to  myself,  they  cannot  help  determining  them  to  my  satis- 
"  faction. 

**  We  are  carrying  on  a  successful  war  against  the  Mali- 
*<  rattas,  fighting  against  them  in  three  different  quarters, 
"  and  obtaining  three  victories  at  the  same  time.  The 
"  Hindoos  are  happy  that  Juggernaut,  their  famous  place  of 
*<  worship,  has  fallen  into  our  hands  ;  for  our  imposts  will  not 
**  be  so  great  as  those  of  the  former  possessors  of  the  adjoin- 
<•'  ing  district." 

The  occasional  notices,  which  have  occurred  in  Mr.  Bu- 
chanan's letters  respecting  the  pious  and  excellent  Mr. 
Obeck,  have  probably  excited  a  wish  in  the  minds  of  most 
readers  to  know  something  of  the  closing  scene  of  his  life,  as 
well  as  some  farther  particulars  of  his  character.  In  the 
month  of  May,  Mr.  Buchanan  thus  wrote  to  Mr.  Grant. 

"  The  departure  of  the  aged  Obeck  appears  to  be  at  hand. 
"  At  least  he  thinks  so ;  and  bids  me  impart  to  you  his 
<*  blessing  while  his  understanding  remains.  He  was  car- 
<*  ried  into  cliurch  last  night,  (Wednesday's  lecture,)  but 
**  was  so  much  revived  by  the  service  and  view  of  his  bre- 
« thren,  that  he  walked  out,  with  assistance.  His  only  food 
<«  at  present  is  bread  dipped  in  wine. 

'«  Under  this  decay  of  body  his  mind  is  more  vigorous 
♦•  than  ever.  He  has  within  this  last  year  assumed  a  very 
♦<  intrepid  tone  in  rebuking  sin,  and  remonstrating  with  the 
*•  lukewarm,  and  in  defining  a  holy  life  in  India.  But  he  has 
*'  great  joy  among  the  true  disciples  ;  and  his  spiritual  com- 
♦<  forts  have  of  late  been  abundant." 

Towards  the  end  of  the  month  of  August  following,  Mr. 
Buchanan  thus  describes  to  the  same  friend  the  progress  of 
Mr.  Obeck's  decline. 

«  The  good  Obeck  is  yet  alive  :  but  his  loins  are  girt  for 
« the  heavenly  journey.  He  is  confined  to  his  room,  and 
*<  cannot  attend  church.     But  the  church  attends  him.     He 


196  MEMOIRS  OF 

«  listens  with  delight  to  the  voice  of  praise  in  the  adjoining 
*<  building  on  the  Sunday  and  Thursday  evenings. 

<*  We  have  arranged  all  his  temporal  affairs  to  his  satis- 
«<  faction.  He  has  given  us  his  text  for  his  funeral  sermon; 
«  in  preaching  which,  I  fear  my  spirits  will  fail  me.  It  is 
*<  difficult  to  speak  of  the  deceased  father  to  tlie  surviving 
**  children." 

This  venerable  man  was  now  very  fast  approaching  his  end. 
Early  in  September  he  felt  a  presentiment  that  he  should 
not  live  to  the  close  of  that  month ;  and  accordingly  on  the 
24th,  Mr.  Buchanan  thus  announced  his  death  to  his  re- 
spected friend  and  benefactor. 

«  The  aged  Obeck  has  at  last  departed.  For  some  weeks 
«  before,  he  almost  daily  expected  his  dismission.  He  had 
"  no  spiritual  conflict  at  his  last  hour;  but  manifested  con- 
^<  stantly  peace,  joy,  and  high  assurance.  He  was  sensible 
"  to  the  last ;  and  when  he  could  not  speak,  he  testified  his 
*'  exultation  of  soul  by  pressing  ardently  to  his  breast  his 
"  fellow  saints.  He  left  to  you  and  your  family  his  solemn 
^<  blessing.  I  send  you  a  paper  containing  some  notice  of  his 
<^  death. 

"  Just  before  Mr.  Check's  death,  I  preached  his  dying 
<«  sermon  in  the  mission  church  from  these  words ;  « The 
<^  time  of  my  departure  is  at  hand.  I  have  fought  a  good 
"  fight,  I  have  finished  my  course,  I  have  kept  the  faith. 
«  Henceforth  there  is  laid  up  for  me  a  crown  of  righteous- 
"  ness,  which  the  Lord  the  rigliteous  Judge  shall  give  me  at 
"  that  day ;  and  not  to  me  only,  but  unto  all  them  also  who 
« love  his  appearing.' 

«  Mr.  Brown  will  preach  his  funeral  sermon  next  Sun- 
«  day  evening." 

Of  what  Mr.  Buchanan  styles  Mr.  Obeck's  dying  sermon 
it  may  not  be  uninteresting  to  many  readers  to  insert  an  ex- 
tract ;  both  as  it  contains  a  pleasing  and  animated  sketch  of 
the  life  and  character  of  that  exemplary  Christian,  and  as  it 
may  afford  a  specimen  of  the  spirit  of  Mr.  Buchanan's 
preaching  upon  such  occasions. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  I97 

**  These  are  the  words  of  the  Apostle  Paul,  in  the  view  of 
«  his  approaching  death.  They  are  words  which  manifest 
«  the  triumph  of  faith  ;  and  which  the  spirit  of  God  enabled 
<*  him  to  utter ;  to  be  adopted  by  every  faithful  Christian  in 
<<  after  ages.  By  these  words  he  sets  a  seal  to  his  doctrine, 
^<  that  it  was  trut ;  that  it  was  really  tlie  life  of  the  soul  at 
"  the  dissolution  of  the  body  :  that  the  assurance  of  the 
<<  Christian  in  the  view  of  death  is  strong  and  sensible  ;  ma- 
**  nifesting  a  power  denied  to  others  in  like  circumstances  5 
"  and  anticipating  the  joys  to  be  revealed  in  the  kingdom  of 
*<  God. 

<*  In  the  records  of  every  age  of  the  church,  we  read  of 
"  those  wlio  were  enabled  to  testify  their  faith  and  hope  in 
"  the  words  of  the  Apostle  ;  and  wherever  the  Gospel  is 
«*  faithfully  declared,  and  its  power  is  felt,  there  will  be  fre- 
"  quent  instances  of  this  triumph  in  death. 

«  God  hath  been  graciously  pleased  to  honour  this  church 
"  with  such  an  instance  at  this  time ;  exemplified  in  his  aged 
<<  and  faithful  servant,  the  venerable  John  Obeck  -,  who  has 
*'  for  many  years  been  a  member  of  this  c(mgregation,  and 
"  is  now  supposed  to  be  at  the  point  of  death. 

«  This  good  man  has  ever  been  distinguished  for  his  genu- 
*<  ine  piety,  for  his  ardent  faith  in  the  Gospel,  for  his  singu- 
<•'  lar  benevolence,  and  for  his  unremitted  labours  of  love 
<<  among  the  poor  and  needy.  He  has  been  long  known  in 
"  this  place,  as  one  who  was  always  '  going  about  doing 
<«  good  ;'  exhibiting  an  affecting  and  amiable  example  of  that 
«  <  pure  religion  and  undefiled,'  taught  by  the  precepts  and 
*<  doctrine  of  our  Saviour. 

"  But  his  chief  labour  was  in  inculcating  the  sacred 
"  truths  of  the  Gospel  whenever  he  had  opportunity  ;  and 
«*  such  opportunities  he  often  enjoyed.  Many  persons  have 
"  for  some  years  attended  his  prayers  in  his  own  family, 
«  which  was  indeed  a  church  in  his  own  house,  where  they 
"  enjoyed  the  inestimable  advantage  of  hearing  his  spiritual 
**  instruction,  and  listening  to  the  counsels  of  age  and  cxpe- 
**  rienee. 


198  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  His  temperate  and  pure  life  has  now  carried  him  to  his 
"  seventy-third  year.  And  from  his  fifteenth  year  (as  I 
« think  he  once  mentioned)  he  has  endeavoured  to  serve 
«  God.  Since  that  period  he  has  had  a  sense  of  religion  in 
«  his  heart,  and  has  been  enabled  to  <  keep  himself  unspot- 
«  ted  from  the  world.' 

<<  All  serious  persons  who  knew  him  had  reason  to  expect 
«that  God  would  honour  the  death  of  so  faithful  a  servant; 
«  and  this  honour  hath  been  conferred  on  him  in  an  abundant 
«  manner.  During  the  last  two  months  of  his  illness,  the 
*'  praise  of  his  Redeemer  has  been  his  constant  theme. 
"  Surrounded  daily  by  his  numerous  family,  his  pleasure  has 
<<  been  to  talk  of  the  things  of  God,  and  of  the  glories  of  the 
<<  kingdom  to  which  he  is  hastening.  And  his  ability  lias 
<«  been  as  great  as  his  pleasure.  For  even  at  this  time, 
^f  when  it  is  doubtful  whether  he  will  survive  another  day, 
"  and  when  his  bodily  frame  is  in  the  last  stage  of  debility; 
"  even  now,  his  understanding  is  clear  and  unclouded ;  his 
«  perception  of  divine  truths  is  undoubtedly  stronger  than  at 
«  a  former  period  of  his  illness ;  his  soul  seems  to  swell  with 
<«  exultation  when  he  recounts  the  past  mercies  of  God ; 
"  and  his  admonitions  and  exhortations  to  others  have  an 
<*  earnestness  and  emphasis,  united  with  a  force  of  reason- 
"  ing  and  firmness  of  persuasion,  which  is  no  where  to  be 
^«  seen  but  on  the  death-bed  of  the  Christian  ;  and  wiiich  no- 
*<  thing  can  inspire  but  a  power  from  on  high. 

« It  will  not  be  necessary  to  apologize  for  exhibiting  to 
*(  you  such  an  instance  of  the  truth  and  divine  power  of  the 
<*  Christian  religion.  It  is  of  great  importance  that  such  in- 
«  stances  should  be  exhibited ;  for  the  knowledge  of  them  is 
<«  oftentimes  blessed  in  a  peculiar  manner  to  the  hearers. 
«  And  this  excellent  man  is  himself  fully  sensible  of  the  in- 
"  expressible  goodness  of  God  to  him,  in  enabling  him  to 
*<  bear  this  blessed  testimony  at  his  dying  hour. 

<'  He  does  not  speak  of  manitestations  and  visions  of  glory, 
<<  which  have  sometimes  attended  the  death  of  good  men; 
« but  he  manifests  a  calm,  rational,  and  placid  spirit, 
«<  founded  on  the  basis  of  an  immovable  faith,  yet  accompa-     # 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  I99 

<•  nied  by  such  ardour  of  expression,  and  by  such  an  assu- 
"  ranee  of  hope,  as  would  abash  philosophy  itself. 

«  He  has  none  of  those  doubts  which  are  often  found  on  a 
"  death-bed.  He  has  not  those  fears  and  misgivings  of  con- 
"  science  which  the  unstable  and  careless  Christian  often 
**  experiences.  He  has  none  of  those  fearful  forebodings 
"  which  harass  the  soul  of  the  despiser  of  religion  in  his  last 
"  hour.  He  is  a  stranger  to  that  gloomy  despair  which  oft- 
^«  en  haunts  the  soul  of  the  man  who  hath  passed  through 
<^  life  the  slave  of  ambition,  or  the  votary  of  pleasure.  No, 
«  his  last  moments  are  the  happiest  of  his  life.  His  ambi- 
<*  ticm  through  life  has  been  to  obtain  <  that  honour  which 
"  Cometh  from  God  ;'  and  his  pleasure  has  been,  in  serving 
•<  God  with  his  whole  heart ;  in  loving  his  neighbour  as  him- 
"self;  in  forgiving  his  enemies;  and  in  praying  for  those 
<<  who  persecute  and  despitefully  use  the  professor  of  the 
«  Grospel  of  Christ. 

"  Do  you  inquire  on  what/ai/A  these  good  works  and  this 
•*  holy  disposition  were  founded  ?  Let  me  express  to  you  his 
"  faith,  collected  cliiefly  from  his  own  words. 

"  *  I  am  a  sinner  saved  by  the  mercy  of  God  in  Christ.  By 
<*  nature  I  am  impure  and  unholy.  Nothing  in  me,  no  me- 
*'  rit  of  mine  could  make  me  the  object  of  God's  distinguish- 
ii  iiig  grace.  But  I  believed  the  word  of  God,  and  I  was 
^•'  enabled  to  offer  up  my  prayers  at  an  early  age,  that  he 
*•  would  open  my  understanding,  and  lead  me  to  a  know- 
"  ledge  of  !iis  truth.  And  his  promise  was  fulfilled  to  me, 
<<  (as  it  is  fulfilled  to  every  serious  inquirer,)  ^  Ask,  and  it 
«  shall  be  given  unto  you;  seek  and  ye  shall  find.'  By  de- 
«  grees  the  mysteries  of  the  Gospel  were  opened  to  my 
*<  view.  I  beheld  myself  a  lost  and  undone  soul  lying  with 
«  a  multitude  in  a  world  of  wickedness  ;  subject  to  the  just 
*<  wrath  of  God.  But  I  at  the  same  time  heard  of  the  offer 
*«  made  to  a  perishing  world  by  the  Saviour  Christ.  I  be- 
"  held  the  wliole  world  overwhelmed  by  a  flood  of  sin  and 
«  misery,  and  the  ark  of  redemption  floating  on  the  waters. 
<«  Every  page  of  the  Gospel  shewed  me  that  tliere  was  no  0 
**  salvation,  hut  by  the  ark  Christ;  that  his  atonement  on 


200  MEMOIRS  OF 

'<  the  cross  was  the  only  atonement  for  my  past  and  future 
<<  sins  ;  that  his  gracious  Spirit  influencing  my  soul  was 
"  the  only  preservative  from  my  evil  passions  and  from  an 
<*  ensnaring  world ;  and  that  his  mediation  alone  procures 
*«  our  access  to  God,  and  warrants  an  answer  to  our 
*>  prayers. 

«  *Thus/  said  he,  <  the  perusal  of  the  word  of  God  was 
<^  blessed  to  my  soul.  I  received  it  in  its  plain  and  obvious 
«*  meaning ;  and  I  have  had  a  constant  experience  of  its 
^*  truth  through  my  past  life.  It  has  been  a  light  to  my 
^<  steps,  and  a  lantern  to  my  paths.  Its  peculiar  doctrines 
<<  appear  now  all  light  and  glory  to  my  soul.  I  know  that 
"the  denunciations  of  God  against  the  despisers  of  his  Gos- 
"  pel  will  be  expressly  executed ;  and  I  know  that  his  prom- 
**  ises  of  glory  to  the  righteous  will  be  fulfilled  in  a  way 
"  that  <  eye  hath  not  seen,  or  ear  heard,  or  hath  entered  into 
«  the  heart  of  man  to  conceive  ;'  and  the  anticipation  of  this 
<^  glory  is  to  me  unutterable.  My  prayer  at  my  last  moments 
"  is,  that  this  power  of  the  Gospel  may  be  felt  more  and 
<<  more  at  this  place  ;  that  the  blessing  of  God  may  rest  on 
*<  this  church  ;  that  the  ministers  may  labour  in  the  word 
«  with  zeal  and  faithfulness ;  and  that  the  hearers  may  re- 
«  ceive  the  word  preached  with  meekness  and  affection ; 
"  that  so  the  testimony  of  the  Gospel  may  prevail,  and  the 
<'  church  of  Christ  may  begin  to  flourish  in  this  dark  corner 
«  of  the  world. 

«<  *  I  leave,'  said  he,  (  my  blessing  on  this  ciiurch. 

"<As  to  my  numerous  family,  I  leave  them  with  scarcely 
<*the  means  of  subsistence ;  but  I  leave  them  dependant  on 
"  that  gracious  Providence,  which  has  supported  me  from 
<«  youth  to  age,  in  a  state  of  apparent  poverty  and  yet  pos- 
"  sessing  abundance.  I  leave  my  children  to  God  as  to  a 
<<  surviving  Father,  who  will  care  for  them  as  he  hath  cared 
"  for  me,  and  will,  I  trust,  bless  my  instructions  to  the  salva- 
"tion  of  their  souls. 

"  <  As  to  myself,  my  hope  is  in  heaven.  The  promises  of 
"  God  are  in  a  manner  already  fulfilled  to  me.  His  truth 
«  and  faithfulness   arc  demonstrated  to  my  soul.     By  hie 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  201 

^'  mercy  *  I  have  fought  the  good  fight,  I  have  finished  my 
*<  course,  I  have  kept  the  faith.  Henceforth  there  is  laid 
<*  up  for  me  a  crown  of  righteousness,  which  the  Lord  the 
«  righteous  Judge  shall  give  me  at  tiiat  day  ;  and  not  to  me 
*<  only,  but  unto  all  them  also  w^ho  love  his  appearing.' 

*«  Such,  my  brethren,  are  the  sentiments,  the  exjjressions, 
"  and  the  heavenly  hope  of  tiiis  good  man.  He  now  lies  on 
<<his  death-bed  in  the  house  adjoining  this  church  ,*  and  en- 
*«  deavours  to  join  the  praises  of  the  congregation  with  his 
*•  feeble  voice.  He  could  even  now  confirm  every  senti- 
"  ment  respecting  him  which  I  have  uttered ;  and  he  could 
**  confirm  them  with  an  energy  and  eloquence  of  which  I  am 
"  incapable. 

<^  Who  is  there  in  this  assembly  who  is  not  ready  to  say, 
'*  *Let  me  also  die  the  death  of  the  righteous;  and  let  my 
*«  last  end  be  like  his.'  " 

In  the  same  month  in  which  the  preceding  sermon  \vas 
preached,  Mr.  Buchanan  was  called  to  perform  a  simslar 
office  on  occasion  of  the  death  of  Mr.  Archibald  Edmonstone, 
of  the  Board  of  Trade,  who  left  behind  him  a  noble  testi- 
mony to  his  faith  in  the  Gospel.  «  His  last  words,"  says  Mr. 
Buchanan,  in  mentioning  the  event  in  a  letter  to  a  friend, 
<*  were  these.  <  Blessed  be  the  God  and  Father  of  our 
*<  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  through  his  abundant  mercy  hath 
*'  begotten  me  again  unto  a  lively  hope,  through  the  resur- 
<<  rection  of  his  Son  Jesus  Christ  from  the  dead,  to  an  inhe- 
'^ritance  incorruptible,  undefiled,  and  that  fadeth  not  away.' 
<*  These  w^ords  his  brother  has  directed  to  be  engraven  on 
*'  his  tomb." 

The  manner  in  which  Mr.  Edmonstone,  who  then  filled 
one  of  the  most  confidential  situations  under  the  Presidency 
of  Bengal,  and  is  celebrated  for  his  oriental  learning,  classi- 
cal taste,  and  cultivated  understanding,  described  Mr.  Bu- 
chanan's funeral  sermon  on  his  brother,  is  too  honourable  to 
him  to  be  omitted.  It  occurs  in  a  note  from  Mr.  Edmon- 
stone to  his  friend  Captain  Baillie,  professor  of  the  Arabic 
language  and  of  Mohammedan  law  in  the  college  of  Fort 
William,  and  is  as  follows. 

r  2 


202  MEMOIRS  OF 

*»  My  clear  B. 
«<  I  am  returned  from  liearirig  a  most  affecting  and  impres- 
**  sive  discourse  delivered  by  Mr.  Buchanan  with  a  degree 
♦<  of  feeling  that  does  honour  to  his  heart,  on  the  occurrence 
*•  of  last  week.  I  am  anxious  that  Mr.  B,  should  know  how 
*<  grateful  I  feel  for  this  high  tribute  of  respect  to  the  mc- 
*•  mory  and  virtues  of  a  beloved  brother,  and  I  therefore 
*<  entreat  you  to  express  to  Mr.  B.  my  sincere  gratitude  for 
**  this  distinguished  mark  of  his  regard  for  him.  Tell  him 
"  that  he  has  afforded  to  my  mind  a  real  consolation,  and 
*<  that  I  trust  I  shall  ever  after  be  the  better  for  the  affecting 
<•  and  forcible  manner  in  which  he  has  held  forth  to  imita- 
*♦  tion  tlie  example  of  a  life  of  true  piety  and  virtue.  Fur- 
••  ther  I  request  that  you  will  convey  to  Mr.  B.  my  earnest 
•«  wish  (if  it  be  not  improper)  that  he  will  allow  me  to  trans- 
*'  cribe  his  discourse,  both  for  the  purpose  of  retaining  it  for 
*•  my  own  use  and  benefit,  and  of  transmitting  a  copy  of  it 
••  to  those  in  Europe  who  will  indeed  need  the  consolation 
**  for  such  an  irreparable  loss,  which  so  distinguished  a  tes- 
**  timony  to  the  merits  of  a  son  and  a  brother  is  calculated 
"  to  afford.  Never  does  a  clergyman  appear  more  conspicu- 
*<  ously  respectable,  than  when  he  combines  with  the  public 
»«  duties  of  his  calling  the  offices  of  humanity  and  consolation; 
*<  and  never  while  1  live  will  the  memory  of  Mr.  B's  solemn 
"  and  eloquent  discourse  on  this  melancholy  occasion,  nor 
*•'  the  gratitude  and  respect  for  him  which  it  has  excited,  be 
**  obliterated  from  the  mind  of  your  ever  affectionate 

"  N.  B.  Edmonstone. 
*-  Sunday,  11th  September,  1803." 
»<  To  Captain  BaillieJ' 

It  was  in  the  summer  of  this  year  that  Mr.  Buchanan  first 
thought  of  proposing  certain  subjects  of  prize  composition, 
connected  with  the  civilization  and  moral  improvement  of 
India,  to  the  Universities  of  the  United  Kingdom.  With 
this  laudable  intention  he  waited  on  the  Governor  General, 
and  having  obtained  his  Lordship's  approbation  of  the  plan, 
he  on  the  20th  of  October  despatched  letters  to  the  Vice- 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  203 

Chancellors  and  Principals  of  the  Universities  of  Oxford 
and  Cambridge,  of  Edinburgh,  Glasgow,  St.  Andrew's,  and 
Aberdeen,  to  the  Provost  of  Trinity  College,  Dublin,  and 
to  the  head  masters  of  Eton,  Westminster,  Winchester, 
and  the  Charter-House  Schools,  containing  the  following 
proposals.  For  the  best  essay  in  Englisli  prose  on  <<  the 
"  best  means  of  extending  the  blessings  of  civilization  and 
**'  true  religion  among  the  sixty  millions,  inhabitants  of  Hin- 
"  dostan,  subject  to  British  authority  ;"  in  each  University, 
one  hundred  pounds.  For  the  best  English  poem  on  «*  the  re- 
'^  vival  of  letters  in  the  East,"  sixty  pounds.  For  the  best 
Latin  ode  or  poem  on  **  Collegium  Bengalense,"  twenty- 
five  pounds  ;  and  the  same  sum  for  the  best  Greek  ode  on 
^' rena-B-of  (pSq-'^  The  sum  of  fifty  pounds  each  for  the  best 
Latin  and  Greek  poems  was  offered  to  the  successful  candi- 
date at  each  of  the  public  schools.  No  less  a  sum  than  six- 
teen hundred  and  fifty  pounds  was  thus  appropriated  by  Mr. 
Buchanan  to  this  benevolent  and  patriotic  purpose.  The 
unusual  nature  and  munificent  extent  of  his  offers  induced 
some  to  suppose,  either  that  they  were  not  made  simply  at 
his  own  suggestion  and  responsibility,  or  that  he  must  have 
been  actuated  by  motives  of  ostentation  and  vanity.  With 
respect  to  the  proposals  themselves,  they  undoubtedly  ori- 
ginated solely  with  Mr.  Buchanan,  and  were  supported 
exclusively  by  his  own  liberality.  He  was  ever  a  man  of 
a  large  and  generous  mind,  fertile  in  devising  plans  of  use- 
fulness, and  prompt  in  seizing  the  first  opportunity  of  execu- 
ting them.  He  was  anxious  to  extend  in  this  country  the 
knowledge  of  the  character  and  effects  of  the  great  collegiate 
institution  which  he  had  been  called  to  superintend ;  and 
the  recent  victories  of  our  armies  in  the  peninsula  having 
enlarged  and  confirmed  our  eastern  empire,  he  was  desirous 
of  awakening  and  directing  the  minds  of  his  countrymen  at 
home  to  the  duty  and  the  opportunity  of  promoting  the 
moral  and  political  welfare  of  our  fellow  subjects  in  India. 
Publicity  and  inquiry  were  therefore  his  great  objects; 
publicity,  not  as  to  his  own  character  or  fame,  for  this  he 
knew  might  have  been  far  more  certainly  obtained  by  more 


^04  MEMOIRS  UF 

obvious  and  less  costly  means,  but  as  to  the  great  andphilan- 
tliroj)ic  design  which  he  had  in  view ;  and  this  induced  him 
to  endeavour  to  interest  in  his  plan  even  the  higher  forms  in 
our  public  schools.  The  result  of  his  liberal  proposals  must 
be  reserved  to  the  period  of  their  reception  and  success  in 
this  country. 

In  the  month  of  November  following,  Mr.  Buchanan  first 
communicated  his  thoughts  on  the  expediency  of  an  ecclesi- 
asiical  establishment  for  Britisii  India,  in  letters  to  the 
Arciibishop  of  Canterbury,  and  to  the  rest  of  the  episcopal 
bench,  having  previously  submitted  them  to  Marquis  Wel- 
lesley.  The  reply  which  he  received  from  the  late  Bishop 
Porteus  confirmed  and  encouraged  him  in  his  determination 
to  bring  that  important  subject  fully  before  the  public. 

It  was  in  the  course  of  this  year  also,  that  Mr.  Buchanan 
obtained  the  sanction  of  the  Governor  General  to  the  build- 
ing of  a  new  church  in  Calcutta.  But  the  extensive  plans 
of  Lord  Wellesley  respecting  the  college,  and  other  political 
concerns  prevented  the  execution  of  this  design. 

A  few  circumstances  which  occur  in  Mr.  Buchanan's 
letters  to  Mr.  Grant  and  Major  Sandys  towards  the  end  of 
this  year,  may  here  be  added.  To  the  former  he  thus  wrote 
in  October  and  December. 

«  The  venerable  Obeek  had  not  been  dead  many  weeks, 
"  when  his  old  friend  Mr.  Gericke,  that  valuable  man,  took 
«  his  departure  also.  The  church  at  Madras  is  in  great  af- 
"  fliction  ;  for  there  is  no  one  to  fill  his  place.  Letters  have 
"come  to  us  for  help.  But  we  can  give  none.  I  do  not  know 
"what  acquaintance  you  may  have  with  that  mission;  but 
<*  attention  to  it  appears  to  me  highly  important  in  the  pre- 
•f*  sent  state  of  things.  If  there  were  any  missionary  like 
"  minded  with  Gericke  within  your  reach,  we  could  from 
^'  Calcutta  add  something  to  his  salary,  if  that  be  desi- 
"  rable." 

To  Major  Sandys,  Mr.  Buchanan  wrote  as  follows. 

<*  We  are  passing  through  an  eventful  season  in  India. 
<•  The  order  of  the  day  is  victory,  and  the  Mahratta  power 
"  is  at  length  destroyed.     The  whole  peninsula  is  now  under 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  205 

*«  British  dominion.  I  have  taken  advantage  of  the  crisis, 
*<  in  endeavouring  to  excite  our  Universities  at  home  to 
"plead  the  cause  of  eastern  civilization. 

*<  Mary  improves  in  health  daily.  She  has  no  sanguine 
<*  wish  to  return  to  England  ;  and  it  is  a  subject  on  wliich  I 
«  never  think.  My  health  continually  bids  it,  but  nothing 
<«  else.  Providence  will  in  due  time  unlock  every  difficulty, 
*f  and  make  our  purpose  and  duty  clear. 

**  The  young  lady  who  came  out  with  Mrs.  B.  in  the  Car- 
**  marthen  appears  to  be  dying  of  a  consumption.  If  her 
"  strength  permit,  we  mean  to  send  her  to  sea  in  a  few 
"  days.  She  will  go  first  to  Madras,  where  Lady  Sinclair 
«  will  receive  her.  She  has  a  serious  impression  of  religion, 
*<  and  is  preparing  for  her  great  change. 

"  Mr.  Brown  lives  generally  at  Serampore.  He  is  well, 
"  and  begs  his  Christian  love  to  you,  solicitous  for  your 
"  welfare  amidst  the  trials  to  which  you  will  be  exposed. 

«  #  *  #  #  and  I  are  on  our  usual  footing.  1  certainly  give 
"  him  a  great  deal  of  trouble;  but  it  is  on  important  sub- 
<*jects.  I  suffer  sometimes  a  repulse;  then  I  wait  for  a 
"  favourable  moment,  anxious,  during  the  little  time  that 
"•  may  be  spared,  to  do  all  I  can  for  the  Church  of  Christ 
*'in  India;  for  that  is  the  chief  subject  of  my  late  endea- 
^^  vours." 

The  character  of  the  audience  usually  assembling  at  the 
Presidency  church  has  been  already  noticed.  It  has  also 
been  observed,  that  a  few  years  previous  to  this  period,  the 
spirit  of  infidelity  or  of  religious  indifference  was  lamentably 
general  in  our  eastern  capital ;  and  the  infection  still  re- 
mained amongst  some,  who,  from  neglected  education  or  the 
influence  of  circumstances  and  habits  peculiarly  unfriendly 
to  Christianity,  were  scarcely  aware  of  the  nature  of 
religious  sentiment  and  feeling.  Amongst  other  subjects, 
therefore,  of  discourse,  more  directly  suited  to  those  who  ac- 
knowledged the  great  truths  of  the  Gospel,  Mr.  Buchanan 
occasionally  addressed  those  who  doubted  of  its  divine  au- 
thority;  and  the  perspicuity  and  force,  with  wliich  he  stated 
its  various  evidencies,  tended  materially  to  extend  and  con- 


206  MEMOIRS  OF 

firm  the  conviction  of  its  truth.  The  importance  of  such 
discourses  is  much  heightened  from  the  consideration  of  their 
probable  eftect  on  the  minds  of  the  numerous  young  men, 
who  as  yet  continued  to  be  assembled  from  the  three  Presi- 
dencies at  the  college  of  Fort  William  ;  and  who  might  be 
justly  expected  to  carry  with  them  to  their  different  stations 
throughout  Ind'a,  those  sound  principles  of  Christian  faith 
and  practice  which  they  had  heard  thus  ably  and  eloquently 
inculcated.  The  memorial  of  the  year  1803  cannot,  perhaps, 
be  better  closed  than  by  a  short  extract  or  two  from  a  ser- 
mon of  this  class  preached  by  Mr.  Buchanan  on  Christmas 
Day,  from  the  confession  of  the  Samaritans,  John  iv.  42. 
"  Now  we  believe — and  know  that  this  is  indeed  the  Christ, 
<<  the  Saviour  of  the  world." 

The  discourse  opens  with  a  brief  review  of  the  origin  and 
prevalence  of  Christianity  by  the  preaching  of  a  few  un- 
learned men  in  a  remote  age,  at  a  period  when  learning  and 
science  flourished  in  the  surrounding  nations ;  and  closing 
with  the  following  striking  observation. 

*<  Long  before  that  period,  a  prophecy  had  gone  forth  con- 
"  cerning  the  advent  of  the  Messiah,  in  these  remarkable 
"  words.  <  The  nation  and  kingdom  that  will  not  serve  thee, 
<'  shall  perish.'  (Isaiah  Ix.  12.)  If  we  look  back  to  the  his- 
<<  tory  of  the  world,  \ve  shall  accordingly  find  jtbat  every  na  - 
'•'  tion  which  embraced  the  Christian  religion,  emerged  from 
^<  ignorance  and  obscurity  to  knowledge  and  light.  If  wc 
<*  consider  the  condition  of  mankind  at  this  day,  we  shall 
"  perceive  that  those  nations  alone  which  liave  been  educa- 
"  ted  in  the  Christian  religion,  are  in  a  state  of  civilization. 
"  Every  other  nation  is  in  comparative  ignorance  and  bar- 
"  barism." 

<«  Of  those  who  do  not  support  Christianity,"  continued 
Mr.  Buchanan,  *<  there  are  some  men  of  talents  and  learn- 
'*«  lug,  who  allege  that  they  do  not  believe  it,  and  a  great 
« number  possessing  neither  talents  nor  learning  would 
**  sanction  a  (denial  of  it  by  their  authority.  We  shall  how- 
<*  ever  suppose  that  such  persons  would  be  accounted  good 
*<  members  of  society ;  and  supposing  this,  we  shall  make 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  ^Oy 

•*  some  concessions  in  the  way  of  argument,  in  order  to  lead 
<^  to  our  conclusion  as  to  their  public  conduct." 

These  concessions,  which  are  as  follow,  form  in  fact  an  in- 
direct but  powerful  series  of  proofs  in  favour  of  the  divine 
origin  of  Christianity. 

<«  We  shall  suppose  for  a  moment  that  the  evidence  for  the 
"  truth  of  our  religion  is  not  sufficient  for  human  conviction. 
<«  We  shall  even  suppose,  a  miracle,  (as  it  will  appear  to 
"  some,)  that  the  principles  which  exalt  our  nation  in  the 
"  present  zenith  of  human  refinement,  were  taught,  not  di- 
«  vinely,  but  by  a  few  fishermen  of  Judea;  who  imposed  them 
<«  forcibly  on  mankind,  and  bade  every  civilized  nation  bow 
•«  to  their  authority;  who,  being  illiterate  themselves,  sub- 
"  jugated  the  learning,  good  sense,  and  piety  of  future  ages 
"  to  the  excellence  of  their  precepts,  and  the  sublime  purity 
«^  of  their  conceptions. 

<«  We  shall  even  imagine  that  the  system  of  prophecy  from 
"  the  earliest  ages  is  not  divine,  and  that  the  prophecies 
"  were  not  fulfilled  by  miracle,  but  by  chance:  that  the  Jew- 
*<  ish  church,  with  all  its  predictions,  types  and  figures  of 
"  things  to  come  :  and  the  Christian  church,  with  all  its  ful- 
'<  filments  of  these  predictions,  types  and  figures,  are  but 
•*  the  result  of  uncertain  tradition ;  that  the  Scriptures 
«'  themselves,  not  accounted  a  work  either  of  learning  or 
<*  science,  were  yet  handed  down  to  us  with  a  purity  of  which 
«^  no  classical  record  can  boast,  and  whose  antiquity  and  du- 
"  rability  appear  to  the  minds  of  some  like  that  of  the  works 
"  of  nature,  which  Grod  hath  created  incorruptible  ;  we  shall 
•«  farther  suppose  that  some  other  book  has  been  found,  or 
»<  may  be  found  in  some  future  age,  bearing  some  analogy  to 
"  this.  All  these  and  a  thousand  other  collateral  evidences 
♦*  we  shall  suppose  not  to  be  sufficient  for  conviction ;  that 
<«  although  our  religion  has  urged  its  way  through  every 
*<  age,  and  hath  acquired  in  these  latter  days  the  sanction  of 
<*  the  highest  degree  of  learning  and  science  which  the  world 
*«  has  ever  known  ;  yet  that  its  evidence  is  not  sufficient  for 
•<  certain  men  of  superior  minds,  or  of  purer  hearts. 


^08  MEMOIRS  OF 

<*  We  shall  now  inquire,  what  rule  of  conduct  respecting 
"  this  religion  such  an  one  ought  to  observe  at  this  clay  ;  one 
*<  who  would  be  accounted  a  man  of  humane  and  honourable 
*<  principles,  a  friend  of  his  country  and  of  social  order. 

*'  In  the  first  place,  his  country  professes  the  Christian  re- 
<*  ligion.  This  of  itself  might  inspire  him  with  some  deli- 
<«  cacy  in  speaking  disrespectfully  of  it.  Again,  we  suppose 
"  that  our  country  has  been  defending  this  religion  for  many 
*<  years  past ;  that  she  has  been  accounted  its  representative 
<*  amidst  the  desolation  of  other  Christian  nations,  and  that 
^<  she  is  now  again  called  forth  in  that  character. 

«*  Now,  supposing  this  to  be  true,  would  it  be  proper  to 
"weaken  this  sentiment?  Would  it  add  any  thing  to  the 
"  spirit  and  energy  of  the  nation,  to  believe  that  its  religion 
"  is  nothing  concerned  in  the  event  ? 

"  But  leaving  the  consideration  of  the  religion  of  our  coun- 
<<  try,  let  us  advert  to  its  principles.  The  moral  principles  of 
"  our  country,  whencesoever  they  have  been  derived  ;  whe- 
"  ther  from  an  improved  barbarism,  from  the  relics  of  learn- 
<^  ed  antiquity,  or  from  a  yet  higher  source,  are  at  this  time 
«  called  Christian  principles.  Their  excellence  is  acknow- 
"  ledged  by  the  friends  and  foes  of  the  Christian  religion. 
"  In  the  degree  in  which  they  are  practised,  they  promote 
«^  the  happiness  of  individuals,  of  communities,  and  of  na- 
"  tions ;  and  the  general  practice  of  them  would  keep  the 
"  world  in  peace. 

*«  It  will  be  granted,  that  if  our  country  be  defending  any 
"  thing,  she  is  defending  her  principles.  Even  those  who 
♦<  deny  her  religion  will  consider  the  defence  of  her  princi- 
^«  pies  a  sacred  duty.  Now  let  such  persons  consider  how 
"  they  are  fulfilling  this  duty.  <  The  principles  of  our  coun- 
"  try,'  you  will  say,  *  are  good ;  but  the  religion  which 
«  taught  them  is  not  true ;  at  least  we  are  inclined  to  think 
« so ;  and  therefore  we  may  be  permitted  to  express  our 
<«  doubts  on  the  subject,  and  to  indulge  in  occasional  levity  at 
^«  the  expense  of  the  belief  of  others.' 

"  Now,  in  the  first  place,  do  you  think  that  it  is  a  likely 
"  way  to  preserve  these  principles  in  the  minds  of  men  to 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  209 

••insinuate  that  they  are  not  divine?  Do  you  think  it  a 
»^  likely  way  to  preserve  moral  principles  in  your  children, 
*^  or  in  younj^  persons  under  your  direction,  to  take  away  all 
•*  religious  sanction  ? 

"But  you  will  say,  that  you  mean  not  to  do  any  harm  ; 
**  that  your  casual  reflections  on  religion  cannot  be  supposed 
"'  to  have  much  effect,  and  that  you  only  indulge  your  pas- 
•^  sion  for  displaying  your  talents  in  your  own  circle,  by  as> 
"  serting  what  you  think  liberal  sentiments  among  young 
"  peojde,  and  by  retailing  the  wit  of  learned  infidels. 

"  But  in  doing  this,  do  you  assume  the  character  of  a 
"  good  member  of  society  ?  If  all  men  were  such  as  you  are, 
"  our  constitution  and  liberties  would  not  survive  another 
**  day.  They  have  not  hitherto  been  maintained  by  such 
<*  defenders  !  It  was  not  this  levity  of  principle  which  con- 
"  ducted  us  through  our  late  dangers,  and  gave  vigour  to 
"  our  fleets  and  armies  in  the  awful  contest.  Nor  is  it  this 
**  principle  w  hich  at  this  eventful  moment  animates  our  na- 
*«  tion  with  such  a  holy  enthusiasm  for  the  preservation  of 
"  their  country,  their  laws,  and  their  religion. 

"  If  it  please  the  providence  of  God  that  success  should 
*'  still  attend  us  in  the  deliverance  of  our  country,  you  will 
♦«  yet  have  to  reflect  that  you  have  not  contributed  to  its  pre- 
*«  servation  ;  that  you  have  neither  supported  its  religion 
•*  nor  its  principles :  but  will  have  to  fear,  that,  in  the  degree 
**  of  your  influence,  you  have  injured  both.  You  will  have 
*'  to  reflect,  that  you  have  not  done  your  part  as  a  good  mem- 
*<  ber  of  society ;  that  however  obscure  your  situation,  or 
*<  small  your  ability,  you  have  put  no  mite  into  the  treasury 
•*  of  the  public  good ;  that,  on  the  contrary,  you  have  lived 
**  a  mere  inactive  pensioner  on  the  bounty  of  your  country, 
<«  which  grants  you  the  blessing  of  a  tranquil  life,  and  grants 
*<  you  also  that  liberty  of  opinion  which  is  abused  to  her 
*<  injury." 

The  preceding  passages  form  a  brief  abstract  only  of  the 
train  of  reasoning  pursued  in  this  able  sermon.  Towards 
the  close  of  it,  Mr.  Buchanan  observes,  that  great  as  is  the 
benefit  of  the  Christian  religion  to  nations,  and  irresistible 

D   2 


210  MEMOIRS  OF 

as  are  the  arguments  for  maintaining  it  for  the  good  of  so- 
ciety, its  importance  to  the  happiness  of  the  individual  is 
still  greater. 

<*  Had  not  its  eternal  sanctions  awakened  the  consciences 
**of  men  in  every  age,  and  its  spirit  sunk  deep  into  their 
"  hearts,  its  national  importance  would  never  have  preserved 
^*  it;  and  the  solemnity  of  this  day  would  not  now  have  been 
^«  observed.  But  there  are  those  now  who  pronounce  the  con- 
«  fession  of  the  text  with  the  same  confidence  and  in  the 
"  same  spirit  with  which  it  was  pronounced  at  first.  <  We 
"  believe  and  know  that  this  is  indeed  the  Christ,  tlie  Sav- 
«'  iour  of  the  world.' " 

After  referring  to  the  practical  illustrations  of  this  asser- 
tion which  had  been  lately  afforded  amongst  themselvesa, 
Mr.  Buchanan  thus  concludes  : 

"  That  whicli  was  prophesied  of  the  Christian  religion  has 
**  been  fulfilled  in  every  age  ;  *  that  it  should  be  in  a  state  of 
♦<  conflict ;  but  that  the  spirit  of  some  would  preserve  it  unto 
<*  the  end  of  the  world.'  <  Ye,'  saith  our  Lord,  <  are  the  salt 
"  of  the  earth.'  Ye  are  they,  who,  having  an  impression  of 
<<  the  eternal  truth  of  my  Gospel  will  maintain  its  doctrine 
•«  and  principles  for  your  own  salvation,  and  for  the  advan* 
«  tage  of  an  evil  world. 

"  *  But  if  at  any  time  this  salt  shall  lose  its  savour ;'  if  at 
"  any  time  your  profession  of  religion  should  degenerate  into 
<*  a  mere  form,  it  then  only  serveth  to  be  cast  out,  and  *  to  be 
"trodden  under  the  feet  of  men;'  under  the  feet  of  your 
«  present  enemies,  and  by  a  vain  philosophy. 

<«  \Ve,  my  brethren,  may  be  accounted  the  representatives 
<«  of  the  Christian  religion,  in  this  remote  country.  A  duty 
"  is  imposed  <tn  us,  from  which  some  societies  may  think 
«  themselves  exonerated.  And  however  little  many  of  us 
•<  may  think  of  this  duty,  it  is  one  which  must  and  will  be 
<*  performed  by  some,  zealously  and  faithfully,  as  a  duty  to 
*«  God  and  to  their  country. 

*<  And  living  in  the  observance  of  this  duty,  they  w  ill  wait 
*6  tlie  event  of  that  awful  commotion  which  begins  again  to 

*  Probably  alluding  to  the  deaths  of  Mr.  Obcck  and  Mr.  Edmonstone. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  gH 

«  agitate  the  world  ;  in  humble  acquiescence  in  the  right- 
*<  eous  dispensations  of  God  ;  not  trusting  to  tlie  merits  of 
«<  our  nation  for  deliverance;  but  firmly  believing  that,  since 
"  it  hath  pleased  his  providence  to  honour  us,  in  time  past, 
"  with  the  defence  of  his  religion,  it  is  his  will  that  it  should 
«  yet  be  established  by  our  means." 

It  is  a  gratifying  reflection,  that  the  high  duty  and  privi- 
lege of  maintaining  inviolate  the  purity  of  the  Christian  re- 
ligion has  been  faithfully  fulfilled  by  the  British  empire  at 
large ;  and  that  we  have  emerged  out  of  that  great  conflict 
which  had  then  lately  recommenced,  with  augmented  strength 
and  glory ;  a  monument  of  the  truth  of  the  divine  declara- 
tion, that  the  steady  profession,  and  the  undaunted  defence 
of  truth  and  righteousness,  are  the  surest  means  of  protect- 
ing and  exalting  a  nation. 

It  may  not  be  improper  to  add,  that,  at  the  close  of  the 
preceding  sermon,  a  collection  was  made  to  the  amount  of 
6000  rupees,  a  sum  highly  creditable  to  the  liberality  of  the 
congregation,  for  the  benefit  of  «  the  Calcutta  Charitable 
« Fund,"  instituted  in  the  year  1800  by  the  Rev.  David 
Brown,  under  the  auspices  of  Marquis  Wellesley,  for  the  re- 
lief of  distressed  Europeans,  Mohammedans,  and  Hindoos; 
of  which  Mr.  Buchanan  some  years  afterwards  observed, 
that  it  had  been  a  fountain  of  mercy  to  thousands. 


212  MEMOIRS  OF 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  college  ot*  Fort  William,  according  to  the  regula- 
tion of  Lord  Wellesley,  in  obedience  to  the  decision  of  the 
Court  of  Directors,  was  to  close  on  the  31st  of  December 

1803.  It  was,  liowever,  a  very  gratifying  circumstance  to 
the  friends  of  that  institution,  that  on  the  3d  of  January 

1804,  a  despatch  announced  to  the  Governor  General  the  de- 
termination of  the  Court,  that  the  college  should  for  the  pre- 
sent continue  on  its  original  footing.  The  business  and  ex« 
aminations  of  the  students  accordingly  proceeded  in  their 
usual  train,  or  rather  with  additional  spirit. 

**  An  example  of  idleness,"  says  Mr.  Buchanan  in  a  letter 
to  a  friend,  <'is  a  rare  thing.  The  appointments  to  the 
<'  service  continue  to  be  made  according  to  the  college  list, 
♦<  that  is,  according  to  merit." 

a  The  annual  disputations  in  the  oriental  languages  were 
held  this  year  on  the  20th  of  September,  in  the  presence  of 
the  Governor  General,  accompanied,  as  usual,  by  the  prin- 
cipal officers  of  the  Presidency,  with  the  addition,  on  this 
occasion,  of  Soliman  Aga,  the  envoy  from  Bagdad.  The 
subjects  of  the  disputations  were,  *<  the  Shanscrit,  as  the  pa- 
«*  rent  language  of  India,"  in  Hindostanee  ;  "  the  figurative 
«  sense  of  the  Poems  of  Halfiz,"  in  Persian  ;  *<  the  utility 
"of  translations  of  the  best  works  extant  in  the  Shanscrit 
«  into  the  popular  languages  of  India,"  in  Bengalee ;  and, 
in  Arabic,  *«  the  imimrtance  of  tlie  Arabic  to  a  grammatical 
"  knowledge  of  the  Persian  language."  A  declamation  was 
afterwards  pronounced  in  Shanscrit,  for  the  first  time,  by 
one  of  the  students;  which  was  followed  by  a  speech  in  the 
same  language  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Carey\  the  Moderator 
and  Professor. 

Prizes  were  at  the  same  tiriie  awarded  for  the  best  Eng- 
lish essays  on  **  the  utility  of  the  Persian  language  in  India," 

a  See  "  The  College  of  Fort  William,"  page  124. 

bFor  a  translation  of  this  eloquent  and  interesting  speech,  see  *'The  College  df 
"Fort  William/*  p.  168. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  213 

on  **  the  progress  of  civilraation  in  India  under  the  British 
<<  government,"  and  on  **  the  decline  and  fail  of  the  Moham- 
♦<  niedan  empire  in  India."  Honorary  rewards  of  books  were 
also  adjudged  to  the  best  proficients  in  the  Greek  and  Latin 
classics,  and  in  the  French  language. 

The  several  compositions  of  this  year  were  afterwards 
published  in  the  third  volume  of  the  "  Primitise  Orientales." 

In  the  speech  with  which  Marquis  Wellesley  closed  the 
proceedings  of  the  day,  his  Lordship  declared,  that  in  each 
successive  year  the  standard  of  comparative  merit  iiad  been 
progressive  in  the  highest  classes  of  the  college,  and  ex- 
pressed his  cordial  satisfaction  at  the  proficiency  and  good 
conduct  of  the  students. 

«<  The  observance  of  all  the  statutes,"  said  his  Lordship, 
«<  is  equally  essential  to  the  interests  and  honour  of  the  stu- 
" dents;  nor  is  their  duty  confined  merely  to  the  diligent 
*«  pursuit  of  the  prescribed  course  of  study.  The  intention 
"  of  the  statutes  is  not  only  to  provide  instruction  in  the  ori- 
'<  ental  languages,  and  in  the  several  branches  of  study  im- 
*«  mediately  connected  with  the  performance  of  official  fune- 
<^  tions,  but  to  prescribe  habits  of  regularity  and  good  order. 
"  My  principal  purpose  in  founding  this  institution  was,  to 
"  secure  the  junior  servants  of  the  Company  from  all  undue 
<•  influence  in  the  discharge  of  their  official  functions,  and  to 
"  introduce  them  into  the  public  service  in  perfect  freedom 
"  and  independence,  exempt  from  every  restraint,  except- 
"  ing  the  high  and  sacred  obligations  of  their  civil,  moral, 
<•  and  religious  duty." 

In  the  course  of  the  year  1804,  several  circumstances  oc- 
curred, connected  with  Mr.  Buchanan  and  the  college  of 
Fort  William,  wiiich  w^ill  be  best  introduced  by  a  few  ex- 
tracts from  his  letters.  He  thus  wrote  to  Major  Sandys  in 
the  month  of  February. 

<*  We  are  much  the  same  in  church,  state,  and  college,  as 
«  when  you  left  us  ;  only  in  respect  to  myself  my  various  la- 
*'  hours  have  increased,  are  increasing,  and,  I  fear,  will 
*<  not  be  diminished. 


ai4  MEMOIRS  OF 

«*  I  am  literally  left  alone  in  many  matters  of  a  public  na- 
« ture,  particularly  in  a  battle  now  fighting,  (the  worst  I 
"  have  yet  had,)  with  Mussulman  and  Hindoo  prejudices 
'^  against  translations  of  the  Scriptures.  Their  clamour  has 
«  assailed  the  government.  Lord  Wellesley  and  Mr.  Barlow 
"  are  neuter  ;  but  the  old  civil  servants  fan  the  flame.  A  folio 
«  volume  would  not  detail  the  particulars;  but  I  trust  you 
"  will  soon  hear  of  the  good  effect.  In  the  mean  time,  I  am 
"  growing  infirm  in  body,  and  long  for  more  holy  employ 
"  than  that  of  hewing  wood  only  for  our  future  sanctuary  in 
<<  India.  I  know  that  what  is  doing  is  useful ;  but  spiritual 
^<  comforts  do  not  accompany  the  occupation,  in  the  degree  I 
"  desire,  and  look  forward  to,  when  I  have  peace  from  pub- 
f*  lie  conflict." 

The  particular  circumstance  to  which  Mr.  Buchanan  pro- 
bably referred  in  the  preceding  extract  was  a  memorial 
Avhich  about  this  time  was  addressed  to  the  Governor  Gene- 
ral, in  consequence  of  the  following  subject  liaving  been  pro- 
posed, among  others,  for  discussion  by  the  students  of  the  col- 
lege, at  the  annual  disputations  which  have  been  just  men- 
tioned ;  viz.  "  The  advantage  which  the  natives  of  this  coun- 
<*  try  might  derive  from  translations,  in  the  vernacular 
*^  tongues,  of  the  books  containing  the  principles  of  their 
•<  respective  religions,  and  those  of  the  Christian  faith." 

There  certainly  appears  to  be  no  ground  of  offence  to  tlie 
natives  of  India  in  the  foregoing  thesis.  A  Christian  might 
rather  have  objected  to  it  as  placing  his  most  holy  faith  too 
much  upon  a  level  with  Heathen  and  Moliammedan  error. 
A  memorial  was,  however,  addressed  to  the  Governor  Gen- 
eral on  the  part  of  the  Mohammedan  moonshees,  and  of  a 
number  of  the  Mussulman  inhabitants  of  Calcutta,  remon- 
strating against  this  supposed  infringement  of  the  toleration 
afforded  to  them  by  the  British  government.  In  reply.  Mar- 
quis Wellesley  signified  to  the  memorialists,  that  although  he 
perceived  no  principle  of  an  objectionable  tendency  in  the 
foregoing  thesis,  yet,  with  a  view  to  prevent  all  apprehen- 
sion on  the  part  of  the  natives,  he  had  prohibited  the  intend- 
ed disputation  upon  that  subject. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  ^15 

Some  years  afterwards  this  incident  was  appealed  to  on 
the  part  of  the  Bengal  government  in  support  of  some  mea- 
sures tending  to  discourage  or  suppress  the  exertions  of  mis- 
sionaries. Upon  which  occasion  Mr.  Buchanan  observed*, 
that  the  memorial  probably  originated  in  the  suggestions  of 
some  individuals  at  that  time  connected  with  the  government 
and  the  college,  who  appeared  to  entertain  a  degree  of  mor- 
bid tenderness  for  the  religious  feelings  of  the  natives. 

These  gentlemen  had  from  the  beginning  been  hostile  to  a 
most  important  work  which  had  been  carrying  on  in  the  col- 
lege ;  viz.  the  translation  of  the  Scriptures  into  the  oriental 
languages  by  natives  and  Europeans.  So  great  was  their 
jealousy  on  this  subject,  that  there  existed  a  kind  of  compro- 
mise between  the  friends  and  the  opponents  of  this  salutary 
measure,  that  if  the  Bible  were  printed  for  Christians,  the 
Koran  should  be  printed  for  Mohammedans.  It  is  to  this 
honourable  contest  that  Mr.  Buchanan  refers  in  the  letter 
last  quoted ;  and,  happily  for  the  interests  of  Christianity, 
he  was  decidedly  successful.  So  early  as  the  year  after  the 
present  period  of  these  Memoirs,  a  commencement  had  been 
made  in  the  translation  of  the  Scriptures  into  several  lan- 
guages. ^The  first  versions  of  any  of  the  Gospels  in  Per- 
sian and  Hindostanee  which  were  printed  in  India,  issued 
from  the  press  of  the  college  of  Fort  William.  The  Persian 
was  superintended  by  Lieut.  Colonel  Colebrooke,  and  the 
Hindostanee  by  William  Hunter,  Esq.  The  Gospels  were 
translated  into  the  Malay  by  Thomas  Jarrett,  Esq.  of  the 
civil  service. 

Of  these  and  other  translations  of  the  Scriptures  then  pro- 
jected and  undertaken,  only  a  very  inconsiderable  part  was 
executed  at  the  public  expense.  The  sole  charge  incurred 
by  the  college  in  the  department  of  sacred  translation,  was 
for  the  Gospel  of  St.  Matthew  in  Persian  and  Hindostanee  ; 
with  this  exception,  the  extensive  Biblical  works  successive- 
ly announced  from  this  institution  were  carried  on  at  the  pri- 

^  See  his  "  Apology  for  promoting  Christianity  in  India,"  p.  102. 

^  See  the  "Christian  Researches,"  introduct.  p.  7.  li.  k  T.  Kite's  edition 


2(6  MEMOIRS  OF 

vate  expense  of  those  members  of  the  college,  amongst  whom 
the  Provost  and  Vice-Provost  held  the  first  rank,  and  others 
who  deemed  it  to  be  of  the  highest  importance  to  promote 
the  diffusion  of  sacred  literature  in  Asia. 

A  second  occurrence  in  this  year  marked  an  improved 
state  of  moral  feeling  in  Calcutta,  and  particularly  illus- 
trates the  salutary  influence  of  the  college  of  Fort  William. 
It  is  thus  mentioned  by  Mr.  Buchanan  in  a  letter  to  Major 
Sandys,  in  the  month  of  August. 

«*  The  institution  of  a  civil  fund  for  widows  and  orplians 
*<  agitates  this  service  at  present.  The  old  gentlemen  wish 
«  to  include  black  illegitimate  children.  The  junior  ser- 
<«  vants  who  are  now  or  have  been  in  college,  almost  with  one 
<(  voice  exclaim  against  a  measure  which  they  conceive 
<*  would  have  a  tendency  to  sanction  vice,  and  to  countenance 
"  an  illicit  connection  with  native  women.  The  question  is 
<«  now  referred  to  the  vote  of  every  individual  in  the  ser- 
<«  vice.  In  the  mean  time,  one  of  my  old  scholars  has  writ- 
*<  ten  a  letter  to  the  service  ;  in  which  he  complains  of  their 
<*  violation  of  the  divine  law,  and  requests  them  to  revert  to 
<<  the  principles  of  honour  and  chastity.  Mr.  M.  is  in  the 
*<  Governor  General's  office,  and  is  supported  by  the  young 
<<  school,  by  all  the  college,  by  the  Governor  General,  and 
<<  by  all  the  friends  of  revealed  religion.  Caricatura  prints, 
<*  exhibiting  the  mover  of  the  subject,  with  a  black  child  in 
"  his  arms,  pleading  its  cause  in  full  assembly,  while  a  black 
«  dye  behind  urges  him  forward  ;  and  various  other  devices 
"  mark  the  popular  question,  and  promise  to  brand  the  im- 
«  moral  practice.  It  is  said,  that  the  affliction  and  shame  of 
<«  the  old  service  are  extreme  ;  and  that  they  execrate  the 
"  the  college  and  its  fruits,  and  hope  that  the  Court  of  Di- 
«  rectors  will  now  see,  how  unfriendly  it  is  to  ancient  insti- 
« tutions  ! 

«  What  the  result  as  to  the  fund  will  be,  I  know  not." 

This,  however,  Mr.  Buchanan  stated  to  the  public  in  the 
following  year,  in  some  remarks  on  the  college  of  Fort  Wil- 
liama.    <*  The  contest,"  he  observes,  "  was  maintained  for  a 

»  See  "  The  college  of  Fort  William,"  p.  163. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  217 

♦<  considerable  time,  by  printed  correspondence,  and  tljc 
*<  fund  was  at  length  established  without  the  opprobrious 
«  clause.  But  a  few  years  ago,"  adds  Mr.  Buchanan,  "  any 
"  man  who  should  have  ventured  to  resist  sucli  a  measure  on 
<^  the  ground  of  religious  or  moral  propriety,  would  have  be- 
<<  come  the  jest  of  the  whole  service.  He  must  be  an  entire 
♦<  stranger  to  what  is  passing  in  Bengal,  wlio  does  not  per- 
^^  ceive  that  the  college  of  Fort  William  is  sensibly  promo- 
^<  ting  an  amelioration  of  the  European  character,  as  well  as 
"  the  civilization  of  India." 

The  activity  of  Mr.  Buchanan's  mind  respecting  objects 
which  he  deemed  important  to  the  interests  of  morals  and 
religion,  may  be  collected,  not  only  from  the  preceding  cir- 
cumstances, but  from  various  hints  in  his  correspondence 
and  diary. 

Thus  at  the  close  of  the  letter  from  which  the  foregoing 
extract  was  made,  he  says,  "  I  have  always  some  plans  re- 
»« lating  to  church  or  college  in  his  Excellency's  hands  ;  and 
**  generally  in  arrear.  But  when  he  does  take  them  np,  it 
"  is  with  the  proper  attention."  A  memorandum  also  oc- 
curs in  the  same  year,  in  which  Mr.  Buchanan  notices  a 
consultation  wliich  he  had  lately  held  with  Sir  George  Bar- 
low on  a  public  thanksgiving,  probably  on  account  of  the 
victorious  termination  of  the  Mahratta  war,  on  the  subject 
of  a  cenotaph  for  those  who  had  fallen  in  battle,  and  respect- 
ing an  order  for  the  better  observance  of  the  Sunday. 

Amidst  his  various  labours,  however,  the  domestic  trial, 
with  which  Mr.  Buchanan  had  been  already  exercised,  was 
renewed  by  the  reappearance,  early  in  the  summer  of  this 
year,  of  alarming  consumptive  symptoms  in  Mrs.  Buchanan. 
In  the  course  of  the  autumn  she  became  so  ill,  that  her  life 
was  for  a  short  time  despaired  of;  and  on  her  partial  recove- 
ry, being  strongly  urged  to  proceed  a  second  time  to  Eu- 
rope, she  at  length  very  reluctantly  consented. 

Preparations  were  accordingly  made  for  this  purpose,  and 
in  October  Mr.  Buchanan  briefly  mentions  in  his  diary,  that 
he  had  been  on  boarji  the  Lady  Jane  Dundas  to  look  at  Mrs. 
B's  cabin.     She  did  not,  however,  leave  Calcutta  till  the 


^18  MEMOIRS  OF 

2!^d  of  January  following,  when  Mr.  Buchanan  accompanied 
her  and  her  youngest  daughter  to  the  ship  at  Kedgeree ; 
and  on  the  25th  the  fleet  sailed  for  Madras,  leaving  him 
once  more  to  return  to  a  solitary  home,  full  of  tender  but 
melancholy  musings ;  hoping  almost  <*  against  hope,"  for 
some  favourable  effect  from  her  voyage,  but  rather  endea- 
vouring to  prepare  his  mind  for  a  contrary  result.  His  me- 
moranda testify  the  warmth  of  affection  with  which  he  again 
followed  Mrs.  Buchanan,  by  frequent  notices  of  the  letters 
which  he  wrote  to  her  weekly,  and  sometimes  almost  daily, 
and  of  which  it  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  not  a  vestige 
remains. 

It  was  at  the  anxious  period,  which  immediately  preceded 
her  departure  from  India,  that  Mr.  Buchanan  resolved  to 
employ  a  part  of  the  very  limited  leisure  which  his  ministe- 
rial and  collegiate  duties  allowed,  to  prepare  a  work  which 
had  long  been  the  subject  of  his  thoughts,  and  the  impor- 
tance of  which  is  now  universally  acknowledged.  This  was 
what  he  afterwards  entitled,  **  A  Memoir  of  the  Expediency 
*<  of  an  Ecclesiastical  Establishment  for  British  India." 

During  the  century  in  which  they  had  been  gradually  ac- 
quiring their  oriental  empire,  the  East  India  Company,  in- 
tent on  the  pursuits  of  commerce  and  ambition,  and  con- 
tending frequently  not  merely  for  aggrandizement  but  for 
existence,  were  but  little  at  leisure  to  attend  to  the  moral 
and  religious  claims  even  of  their  own  servants ;  much  less 
to  consider  those  of  their  native  subjects  to  any  thing  be- 
yond general  protection,  and  the  administration  of  justice; 
and  even  to  these,  till  of  late  years,  but  partially  and  imper- 
fectly. Some  provision,  but  of  a  very  scanty  and  inade- 
quate kind,  was  made  for  the  supply  of  the  spiritual  wants 
of  their  European  servants,  by  the  establishment  of  a  few 
chaplains  at  each  of  the  three  Presidencies  ;  the  number  of 
whom  was  gradually  increased  as  the  Company  progressive- 
ly  extended  its  Indian  territories. 

To  those  who  from  principles  of  infidelity,  whether  spe- 
culative or  practical,  or  from  the  absorbing  influence  of 
worldly  pursuits,  were  disposed  to  treat  religion  as  a  subor- 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  gig 

(linate  concern,  to  consider  the  most  distant  and  transient 
attention  to  it  as  amply  fulfilling  its  demands,  and  who  in 
the  acquisition  or  consolidation  of  power  amidst  the  half- 
civilized  votaries  of  idolatry  and  imposture,  were  tremhling- 
ly  alive  to  tlie  danger  of  offending  or  alarming  them,  hy  the 
too  prominent  profession  of  a  purer  faitli,  it  may  he  easily 
imagined,  that  the  ecclesiastical  appointments  in  India  were 
deemed  sufficiently  numerous  and  effective.  But  to  the  eye 
of  Christian  observation,  and  even  of  enlightened  policy, 
they  had  long  been  considered  unworthy  of  our  public  pro- 
fession as  a  Protestant  and  religious  empire,  inadequate  to 
the  necessities  of  the  European  population,  and  inconsistent 
both  with  our  interest  and  our  duty  as  the  almost  undispu- 
ted sovereigns  of  India.  The  immense  distance  which  sepa- 
rates Great  Britain  and  Hindostan,  the  comparatively  small 
number  of  those  who  are  either  acquainted  with  Indian  af- 
fairs, or  interested  in  their  management,  the  peculiar  na- 
ture of  their  direction  by  a  commercial  Company,  and  the 
lateness  of  the  period  at  which  they  assumed  the  aspect  of 
political  and  territorial  importance,  all  tended  to  involve  the 
religious  consideration  of  India  in  obscurity  and  neglect. 
The  providence  of  God  had,  however,  within  the  space  of  a 
few  years,  not  only  given  to  Great  Britain  a  decided  predo- 
minance over  every  other  European  nation,  but  by  the  ex- 
tinction of  the  Mohammedan,  and  the  subjection  of  the  Mah- 
ratta  power,  had  in  fact  bestowed  upon  us  the  empire  of  In- 
dia. An  enlarged  attention  to  the  religious  welfare  of  an 
augmented  body  of  European  servants,  and  to  the  political 
and  moral  improvement  of  fifty  millions  of  native  subjects, 
w^as  one  of  the  necessary  consequences  of  our  Indian  sove- 
reignty— a  result,  however,  which  those  whose  views  arc 
principally  directed  to  political  aggrandizement,  would,  for 
the  reasons  already  assigned,  be  naturally  slow  to  perceive 
and  acknowledge  ;  but  which  the  Christian  patriot  aad  philo- 
sopher would  be  eager  to  anticipate  and  assert.  It  cannot, 
therefore  be  a  matter  of  surprise,  that  a  subject  so  important 
in  itself,  and  so  intimately  connected  with  his  own  profes- 
sion and  local  situation,  should  have  early  occurred  to  the 


25SO  MEMOIRS  OF 

mind  oi'  such  a  diligent  and  wakeful  observer  as  Mr.  Bu- 
chanan. The  design  of  his  "Memoir"  was  indeed,  as  he 
afterwards  declared,  first  suggested  to  him  by  the  late  ex- 
cellent Bishop  Porteus  ;a  who  liad,  he  said,  "  attentively 
**  surveyed  the  state  of  our  dominions  in  Asia,"  and  had  ex- 
pressed his  <*  conviction  of  the  indispensable  necessity  of  an 
<*  ecclesiastical  establishment  for  our  Indian  empire."  He 
was  encouraged  also,  as  he  added,  <*  by  subsequent  commu- 
"  nications  with  Marquis  Wellesley,  to  endeaA'our  to  lead 
••  the  attention  of  the  nation  to  this  subject."  The  manu- 
script of  this  work  was  transmitted  to  England  in  the  spring, 
and  published  in  the  autumn  of  the  year  1805. 

Before  we  proceed,  however,  with  the  consideration  of  his 
•<  Memoir,"  it  will  be  proper  to  recur  to  the  prizes  proposed 
by  Mr.  Buchanan  to  the  Universities,  and  some  of  the  pub- 
lic schools,  of  the  United  Kingdom.  They  were  accepted 
in  the  summer  of  1804,  by  the  several  bodies  to  which  they 
were  offered,  with  the  exception  of  the  University  of  Oxford: 
by  which  they  were  declined,  on  the  ground  of  certain  objec- 
tions in  point  of  form.  The  prize  compositions  were  direc- 
ted to  be  delivered  to  the  respective  judges  towards  the  end 
of  the  year ;  and  early  in  the  following  spring,  the  prizes 
were  awarded  to  the  successful  candidates.  Of  the  compo- 
sitions which  were  thus  honoured,  the  greater  number  were 
afterwards  published,  as  well  as  a  few  others,  which  had 
proved  unsuccessful.  In  the  University  of  Cambridge,  the 
prize  for  the  Greek  ode  was  adjudged  to  Mr.  Pry  me,  of 
Trinity  college  ;  and  at  Eton  to  Mr.  Rennell,  afterwards 
Fellow  of  King's  college.  At  the  same  distinguished  school 
Mr.  Richards  obtained  the  prize  for  the  best  Latin  verses  on 
the  College  of  Fort  William. 

In  Scotland,  three  Latin  poems  were  also  published,  by 
Mr.  Mac  Arthur,  Mr.  Adamson,  and  Dr.  Brown,  of  which 
liie  two  former  were  thought  worthy  of  the  prize  by  the 
Universities  of  Glasgow  and  Aberdeen.     The  composition, 

*  See  his  "Christian  Researches,"  p.  144,  and  the  first  Dedication  of  his  "  Me- 
moir," p.  iv. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  231 

however,  which  reflected  the  highest  lionour  on  its  author, 
and  on  the  occasion  which  called  it  forth,  was  the  English 
poem  on  *•  the  restoration  of  learning  in  the  East,"  hy 
Charles  Grant,  Esq.  then  Fellow  of  Magdalen  college,  Cam- 
hridge.  The  poetical  talents,  the  classical  and  oriental 
learning,  the  elevated  sentiments,  and  the  rich  and  varied 
command  of  language,  displayed  in  this  prize  composition, 
attracted  general  admiration ;  and  tended  materially  to  pro- 
mote the  design  which  the  proposer  of  the  subject  had  in 
view,  by  directing  the  public  attention  to  the  revival  of 
learning  on  the  banks  of  the  Ganges,  and  by  exciting  it  to 
the  duty  and  the  privilege  of  improving  the  condition  of  the 
degraded  natives  of  Hindostan,  and  of  spreading  throughout 
our  oriental  empire  the  blessings  of  literature  and  religion. 
A  second  poem  on  this  subject  was  published  at  the  request 
of  the  examiners,  by  the  Rev.  Francis  Wrangham,  of  Trin- 
ity College. 

Essays  on  ^«  the  best  means  of  civilizing  the  subjects  of 
<*  the  British  empire  in  India,  and  of  diffusing  the  light  of 
"  the  Christian  religion  throughout  the  eastern  world," 
were  published  by  the  Rev.  William  Cockburn,  Fellow 
of  St.  John's  College,  and  Christian  Advocate  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  Cambridge,  to  whom  the  prize  was  assigned ; 
by  Mr.  Wrangham,  who  with  laudable  zeal  engaged  in  the 
prose  as  well  as  in  the  poetical  competition  ;  by  Dr.  Ten- 
nant,  then  lately  returned  as  a  military  chaplain  from 
India ;  and  by  Messrs.  Mitchell  and  Bryce,  to  whom  the 
prize  was  respectively  adjudged  by  the  Universities  of 
Edinburgh,  Glasgow,  and  Aberdeen. 

These  essays  were,  with  one  exception,  the  production  of 
studious  and  speculative  men,  whose  attention  was  probably 
first  directed  to  the  subject  by  Mr.  Buchanan's  proposal  to 
the  learned  bodies  of  which  they  were  members.  Whilst  it 
could  scarcely,  therefore,  be  expected  that  they  should  sug- 
gest any  detailed  practical  arrangements  for  the  civilization 
and  instruction  of  the  natives  of  Hindostan,  they  exhibited 
considerable  historical  and  political  research,  together  with 
enlightened    and  benevolent    views  of  the  duty  of  Great 


222  MEMOIRS  OF 

Britain  to  promote  the  important  objects  submitted  to  their 
discussion,  and  concurred  in  recommending  the  adoption  of* 
certain  direct  means  for  diffusing  the  blessings  of  Christ- 
ianity in  India.  They  possessed  the  additional  merit  of  con- 
tributing to  bring  before  the  public  inquiries  tending  to 
ameliorate  the  moral  and  religious  condition  of  our  oriental 
empire. 

The  utility  of  the  labours  of  missionaries,  and  the  estab- 
lishment of  schools,  was  recognized  by  several  of  the  writers 
last  mentioned.  The  consideration,  however,  of  an  ecclesi- 
astical establishment  was  reserved  for  Mr.  Buchanan  him- 
/  self;  whose  «  Memoir"  upon  that  subject  was  intended  to 
1  point  out  the  expediency  of  such  a  measure,  <*  both  as  the 
"  means  of  perpetuating  the  Christian  religion  among  our 
<«  own  countrymen,  and  as  a  foundation  for  the  ultimate 
<*  civilization  of  the  natives." 

After  tlie  extensive  circulation  of  the  work  itself,  and  the 
ample  discussion  of  its  subject,  which  we  have  witnessed  ; 
more  especially  after  the  ecclesiastical  appointments  which 
have  lately  taken  place,  and  which  must  be  attributed  chiefly 
to  the  original  proposal  and  the  persevering  efforts  of  Mr. 
Buchanan,  it  will  not  now  be  necessary  to  enter  much  at 
large  into  the  statements  and  reasonings  of  his  able  and  in- 
teresting Memoir.  It  will  be  sufficient  to  observe,  that  the 
first  part  of  it  exhited  the  very  inadequate  state  of  the  cleri- 
cal establishment  in  India  at  that  period,  for  the  great  pur- 
poses of  the  instruction  and  religious  communion  of  our  resi- 
dent countrymen.  Upon  this  point,  the  facts  and  arguments 
adduced  by  Mr.  Buchanan  were  conclusive  as  to  the  obliga- 
tion and  the  policy  of  a  more  suitable  provision  for  the  due 
performance  of  the  ordinances  of  the  established  religion. 

In  the  second  part,  he  supposed  such  an  establishment  to 
have  been  given  to  India,  and  proceeded  to  consider  the  re- 
sult with  respect  to  the  civilization  of  the  natives.  After 
describing  in  just  and  forcible  terms  their  actual  condition — 
the  pride,  immorality,  and  bigotry  of  the  Mohammedans,  and 
tlie  vices,  enormities,  and  barbarities  of  Hindoo  superstition 
and  idolatry,  Mr.  Buchanan  discussed  at  some  length  the 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  2^3 

practicability  and  the  policy  of  attempting  to  civilize  and 
improve  them.  In  this  part  of  his  work  he  exhibited  tlie 
character  of  the  Hindoos  in  a  different  point  of  view  from 
that  in  which  they  had  been  generally  regarded.  He  as- 
serted that  their  apathy  is  extreme,,  and  that  no  efforts  to 
instruct  them,  except  such  as  partook  of  a  compulsory 
nature,  ought  to  be  considered  as  attended  with  danger  to 
the  British  government;  that  their  prejudices  are  daily 
weakening  in  every  European  settlement;  that  they  are  a 
divided  people;  that  they  are  less  tenacious  of  opinion  than 
of  custom ;  and  that  to  iHsseminate  new  principles  among 
them  is  by  no  means  so  difficult  as  it  is  frequently  repre- 
sented. 

In  support  of  the  policy  of  the  measure  which  he  proposed, 
the  arguments  of  Mr.  Buchanan  were  irresistible.  The 
sin,^le  consideration,  that  the  attachment  of  a  people  separa- 
ted from  their  governors  by  a  variety  of  moral  and  physical 
distinctions,  without  any  mutual  bond  of  union,  must  neces- 
sarily be  precarious,  and  that  such  a  connecting  link  can 
only  be  afforded  by  means  of  our  religion,  is  a  sufficient 
proof  of  this  point.  In  obviating  objections  founded  on  the 
supposed  impolicy  of  civilizing  our  Indian  subjects,  Mr.  Bu- 
chanan, however,  advanced  to  higher  ground. 

*<  The  progressive  civilization  of  India,"  he  observes, 
<*  will  never  injure  the  interests  of  the  East  India  Company. 
'^  But  shall  a  Christian  people,  acknowledging  a  Providence 
<'in  the  rise  and  fall  of  empire,  regulate  the  policy  of  future 
<<  times,  and  neglect  a  present  duty,  a  solemn  and  imperious 
«  duty,  exacted  by  their  religion,  by  their  public  principles, 
«»  and  by  the  opinion  of  the  Christian  nations  around  them  ? 
^(  Or  can  it  be  gratifying  to  the  English  nation  to  reflect, 
"  that  they  receive  the  riclies  of  the  East  on  the  terms 
*<  of  chartering  immoral  superstition  ?"  Memoir,  p.  40. 

The  appeal  was  unanswerable,  and  produced  a  correspon- 
ding impression  upon  the  public  mind. 

The  third  part  of  Mr.  Buchanan's  Memoir  strongly  con- 
firmed his  arguments  as  to  the  practicability  of  his  proposed 
plan,  by  a  view  of  the  progress  already  made  in  civilizing 


224i  MEMOIRS  OF 

the  nations  ot*  Hindostan.  Many  interesting  facts  were  here 
stated  relative  to  the  existence  of  Christianity  in  India  from 
the  earliest  ages,  and  particularly  respecting  the  native 
Christians  on  the  coast  of  Malabar,  who,  notwithstanding 
the  accounts  given  of  tbem  by  a  few  learned  men,  were  now 
for  the  first  time  prominently  introduced  to  the  knowledge 
of  the  English  public.  The  labours  of  the  Danisli  mis- 
sionaries Ziegenbalg,  and  Grundler,  and  of  the  apostolic 
Swartz,  were  also  commemorated ;  and  the  laudable  and 
truly  Christian  addresses  of  King  George  the  First  and 
Archbisliop  Wake  to  the  former  excellent  men,  were  exhibit- 
ed as  models  of  imitation  to  political  and  ecclesiastical  go- 
vernors of  the  present  day. 

The  Memoir  itself  was  with  great  propriety,  and  in  a 
strain  of  dignified  and  impressive  eloquence,  dedicated  to 
his  Grace  the  late  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  having  been 
transmitted  to  this  country  before  the  death  of  that  most 
Reverend  Prelate  was  known  in  Bengal. 

An  appendix  to  the  Memoir  contained  a  variety  of  impor- 
tant information  on  the  superstitions  of  the  Hindoos,  tending 
powerfully  to  correct  the  erroneous  opinion  so  commonly  en- 
tertained of  them  at  this  period,  as  a  mild,  humane,  and  in- 
offensive race. 

In  advocating  the  expediency  of  an  ecclesiastical  estab- 
lishment as  a  foundation  for  the  ultimate  civilization  of  the 
natives  of  India,  Mr.  Buchanan  did  not  state  at  length  the 
re^isonings  upon  which  he  grounded  his  expectation  of  that 
important  result. 

"  No  immediate  effect,"  he  observes,  <*  is  to  be  expected 
'f  from  it  in  the  way  of  revolution  ;  but  it  may  be  demonstra- 
«  ted  by  a  deduction  from  facts,  that  the  most  beneficial  con- 
**  sequences  will  follow  in  the  way  of  ordinary  effect  from  an 
<*  adequate  cause."   P.  21. 

A  detailed  view  of  the  intermediate  steps  between  the 
cause  and  its  supposed  consequences  would,  doubtless,  as  it 
was  afterwards  suggested,  have  been  a  desirable  addition  to 
the  arg'uments  of  his  Memoir.  Mr.  Buchanan,  however, 
probably  thought,  that  the  concurring  testimony  of  history 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  gg^ 

as  to  the  connection  between  the  profession  and  establish- 
ment of  a  religion  by  the  governing  power  in  a  state,  and  its 
progressive  influence  among  tlie  people,  was  sufficiently 
known  and  acknowledged  to  authorize  the  general  assertion 
just  quoted;  and  it  was  not,  perhaps,  absolutely  necessary 
to  the  conclusiveness  of  his  proofs  as  to  the  expediency  of  an 
ecclesiastical  establishment  in  India  for  both  the  important 
purposes  stated  in  his  Memoir. 

Such  was  briefly  the  nature  of  the  novel  and  interesting 
work  which  Mr.  Buchanan  transmitted  to  England  in  the 
year  180.^,  for  publication.  It  was  calculated,  from  the  pe- 
culiar subjects  of  which  it  treated,  to  excite  general  atten- 
tion, and  to  provoke  both  discussion  and  animadversion.  The 
consideration,  however,  of  its  reception  and  eff*ect,  must  be 
suspended,  while  we  revert  to  the  intermediate  course  of 
this  narrative. 

It  had  long  been  an  object  of  anxiety  to  the  superinten- 
dants  of  the  college  of  Fort  William  to  obtain  a  version  of 
the  Scriptures  in  the  Chinese  language.  After  many  fruit- 
less inquiries,  they  in  this  year  succeeded  in  procuring  the 
assistance  of  Mr.  Lassar,  a  native  of  China,  and  an  Arme- 
nian Christian,  whose  name  is  now  well  known  as  a  learned 
professor  of  that  language.  Mr.  Lassar  arrived  at  Calcutta 
in  a  commercial  capacity;  and  having  met  with  some  diffi- 
culties, he  became  known  to  Mr.  Buchanan,  who,  apprecia- 
ting his  talents,  generously  liberated  him  from  his  embar- 
rassments, and  engaged  him  at  a  stipend  of  three  hundred 
rupees  per  month  to  devote  himself  to  tlie  translation  of  the 
Scriptures,  and  to  the  instruction  of  a  Chinese  class,  formed 
of  one  of  the  elder,  and  three  of  the  junior  members  of  the 
missionary  establishment  at  Serampore.  The  expected  re- 
duction of  the  college  rendering  it  inexpedient  that  Mr. 
Lassar  should  be  attached  to  that  institution,  this  stipend 
was  afforded  for  about  three  years  at  the  sole  expense  of 
Mr.  Buchanan.  To  his  liberality,  therefore,a  must  be  chiefly 

*  See  the  "Christian  Researches,"  p.  13;    Christian  Observer  for  1S09.  P-  601 ; 
and  Dr.  M:*rshm?^n's  Clavis  Sinica,  Preface,  p.  ii. 

F  2 


2S6  MEMOIRS  OF 

ascribed  the  progress  which  has  been  made  in  tliat  quarter 
towards  supplying  the  vast  empire  of  China  with  a  transla 
tion  of  the  sacred  volume  into  its  own  extraordinary  lan- 
guage. 

The  name  of  Mr.  Buchanan  appears  in  the  year  1805  in 
the  list  of  members  of  the  Asiatic  Society.  He  had  proba- 
bly been  elected  previously  to  that  period  ;  and  if  he  did  not 
contribute  to  tlie  curious  and  valuable  *<  Researches"  of  that 
learned  body,  it  was  not  so  much  from  any  want  of  interest 
in  their  labours,  as  from  the  pressure  of  his  various  em- 
ployments, which  allowed  him  only  to  devote  his  leisure  to 
inquiries  which  were  exclusively  of  an  ecclesiastical  and  re- 
ligious  nature. 

Two  letters  to  one  of  his  friends  in  this  year  contain  proofs 
of  the  paternal  anxiety  with  which  Mr.  Buchanan  watched 
over  the  progress  of  the  students  of  Fort  William.  The 
weekly  reports  of  the  different  professors  as  to  the  profi- 
ciency of  their  classes  were  delivered  to  him  every  Satur- 
day. Their  representations,  whether  favourable  or  other- 
wise, were  by  him  communicated  to  the  college  council,  and 
ultimately,  through  them,  or  himself  as  their  organ,  to  the 
Governor  General.  Mr.  Buchanan  mentions  several  in- 
stances of  the  beneficial  effects  of  this  watchful  superintend- 
ence in  stimulating  even  those  who  would  otherwise  have 
remained  incorrigibly  indolent  to  diligence  and  exertion.  In 
a  few  cases,  the  discipline  which  had  been  originally  an- 
nounced was  firmly  and  impartially  enforced ;  sometimes,  but 
very  rarely,  by  absolute  removal  from  college,  and  the  con- 
sequent loss  of  promotion  in  the  service ;  at  others,  by  the 
kind  intervention  of  Mr.  Buchanan  with  the  Governor  Gen- 
eral, in  cases  which  admitted  of  apology  or  excuse,  by  per 
mission  to  retire,  and  an  appointment  which  sufficiently 
marked  the  circumstances  of  inferiority  in  Vv^hich  the  neg 
lect  of  college  duties  had  issued.  Upon  one  such  occasion 
Mr.  Buchanan  thus  writes. 

•*  It  would  have  given  me  great  satisfaction  to  have 
*^been  able  to  send  you  such  gratifying  letters  as  I  have 
"  often  written,  and  am  now  writing,  to  various  families  in 


/ 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  ^^7 

^<  England,  Scotland,  and  Ireland,  respecting  their  sons  who 
<^have  passed  a  long  period  in  diligent  study,  acquired  hon- 
"  ours,   and  then  lucrative  appointments.     But  it  has  been 

*^  ordered  otherwise.     Perhaps  all  will  be  well.  Poor " 

(speaking  of  a  student  who  had  lately  died)  *<  had  certainly 
*<  been  cherishing  solemn  and  serious  purposes  the  fortnight 
**  before  his  death  ;    and  he  no  doubt  died  the  child  of  many 

<<  prayers may  yet  prove  himself  to  be  the  child  of 

<*  religious  parents.  Their  case  however  speaks  loudly  to 
"  us  who  are  fathers  ;  teaching  us  to  walk  with  humility  and 
"  fear  before  God,  committing  our  children  to  him  in  prayer 
<^  and  tears,  and  with  much  wrestling  for  a  blessing  on  them, 
*^  when  they  depart  from  us.  The  world  says,  <  He  who 
*•  hath  children,  hath  given  pledges  to  fortune.'  The  Christ- 
*«  ian  knows  how  this  is  to  be  translated." 

Upon  the  general  subject  of  religion  in  Calcutta  Mr.  Bu- 
chanan gave  the  following  encouraging  accounts  to  one  of 
his  correspondents. 

«« We  have  had  divine  service  at  tlic  mission  church 
••'  lately  for  the  settlement.  The  punkas  make  it  very  plea- 
•«  sant ;  but  it  was  found  to  be  too  small  for  the  auditory  ; 
«'  many  families  going  away  every  Sunday  morning;  seats 
<*  being  in  general  occupied  an  hour  before  service. 

"You  will  be  glad  to  hear  that still  perseveres  in 

<^  listening  to  sacred  things  ;  as  do  many  other  young  poli- 
"  tical  servants  whom  you  do  not  know.  The  demand  for 
*<  religious  books,  particularly  of  evangelical  principles,  has 
*'  been  very  great  these  two  last  years.  Messrs.  Dring  told 
**  me  they  had  sold  an  investment  of  fifty  8vo.  Bibles  in  the 
'<  course  of  three  months." 

In  ia  subsequent  letter  Mr.  Buchanan  thus  continued  his 
account  of  ecclesiastical  affairs,  after  prefacing  it  with  an 
act  of  kindness  to  a  clerical  brother. 

<*  The  bearer  of  this,  the  Rev.  Mr. ,  requests  me  to 

^<  state  to  you  his  hope  that  you  will  peruse  his  memorial  re- 
"  ferred  by  this  government  to  the  Court  of  Directors.  He 
"  has  been  twenty-five  years  a  chaplain  here,  and  is  now  old 
>'•'  and  infirm.     I  assured  him  that  every  Justice  would  be 


^28  MEMOIRS  OF 

*«  done  by  you  in  relation  to  his  memorial,  and  that  you  would 
*<  direct  such  an  investigation  of  the  circumstances  as  might 
<^  be  proper. 

<«  On  account  of  the  increase  of  our  congregations  we  are 
"  about  to  have  two  morning  services  on  Sunday  ;  the  first  at 
"seven  o'clock  in  the  old  church,  and  the  second  at  the 
*<  usual  hour  of  ten  at  the  new.  This  is  very  agreeable  to 
"a  great  majority.  Only  Mr.  Brown  and  myself  will  offi- 
<^ciate  at  the  old  church.  We  shall  of  course  (at  least  I 
"shall)  continue  to  officiate  as  usual  at  the  new." 

About  this  time  Mr.  Buchanan  thus  mentions  to  a  friend 
and  relative  the  mixed  nature  of  the  congregations  in  Cal- 
cutta. 

"  We  have  some  of  all  sects  in  our  congregations  ;  Pres- 
"  byterians,  Independants,  Baptists,  Armenians,  Greeks, 
*'  and  Nestorians.  And  some  of  these  are  part  of  my  audi- 
<*  ence  at  the  English  church.  But  a  name  or  a  sect  is  never 
"  mentioned  from  the  pulpit ;  and  thus  the  word  preached 
<*  becomes  profitable  to  all. 

"  Even  among  the  writers  in  the  college  there  are  Pres- 
"  byterians,  Independants,  and  Methodists.  Their  chief 
"  difficulty  at  first  is  from  the  ceremonies  of  the  English 
"  church,  which  few  of  them  ever  witnessed  till  they  came 
"  here. 

<^  I  must  lie  down  awhile  and  dictate  to  an  amanuensis, 
"  for  it  is  very  hot.     The  thermometer  is  to-day  near  110. 

« used  in  former  life  to  prosecute  all  he  took  in 

"  hand  with  enthusiasm.  He  thought  nothing  done  right, 
"  if  not  done  with  all  his  might.  So,  perhaps,  it  is  in  his  re- 
«  ligion  and  private  life.  He  is  actuated  by  a  pure,  genu- 
"  ine  enthusiasm.  Eternity,  he  says,  has  opened  to  his  view, 
"  and  he  would  save  the  souls  of  men.  We  shall  judge  him 
"  by  his  works  a  few  years  hence.  #  #  *  * 

"  When  the  Hindoo  had  laid  down  the  pen,  and  I  had  got 
^f  up  from  my  couch,  he  asked  me  what  kind  of  a  thing  a 
"  Methodist  was.  I  told  him  that  it  was  a  Christian  man  in 
"  the  little  Isle  of  Britain,  who  prayed  too  much,  and  was 
i(  i  righteous  overmuch.'     The  lad  stared,  and  said,   How 


DR.  BUCHANAN,  229 

<«  can  that  be  ?    So  it  is,  said  I ;  behold  that  man,  (pointing 

<(  to 's  picture,)  who  is  reputed  a  Metho3ist  in  England, 

<*  and  is  a  subject  of  ridicule,  on  account  of  his  excessive 
**  godliness.  ^  Among  us,'  replied  the  Hindoo,  «  he  would 
"  thereby  acquire  the  more  reverence  and  veneration.'  " 

At  the  close  of  one  of  the  preceding  letters,  Mr.  Bu- 
chanan expressed  his  fears  as  to  the  result  of  some  public 
measures,  concerning  which  he  had  formed  sanguine  expec- 
tations ;  but  not  long  afterwards  he  wrote  in  a  more  anima- 
ted, and,  as  before,  in  a  prophetic  strain. 

"  The  war  seems  to  be  now  near  its  close ;  and  it  will 
"  probably  be  followed  by  a  long  reign  of  peace  in  India. 
*<  Having  obtained  complete  dominion  over  it,  we  shall  then 
*<  bless  it  with  the  Word  of  Life  ;  and  Christ  will  be  once 
<^  more  glorified  in  the  East." 

a  The  fourth  annual  disputations  in  the  oriental  languages 
in  the  college  of  Fort  William  were  held  this  year  in  the 
month  of  February,  in  the  presence  of  Marquis  Wellesley 
and  the  superior  members  of  the  government.  Upon  this 
occasion  it  was  maintained  in  Hindostanee,  that  *^  the  ori- 
<*  ental  languages  are  studied  with  more  advantage  in  India 
'*  than  in  England,  and  with  greater  advantage  to  the  pub- 
"  lie  service."  And  in  Persian,  that  that  language  is  of 
«  more  utility  in  the  general  administration  of  the  British 
"  empire  in  India  than  the  Hindostanee."  In  addition  to 
declamations  in  Bengalee  and  Arabic,  one  was  pronounced 
for  the  first  time  in  the  Mahratta  language.  In  the  speech 
which  Lord  Wellesley  delivered  after  the  distribution  of  the 
prizes  and  honorary  rewards,  his  Lordship  observed,  that 
the  general  zeal,  industry,  and  spirit  of  study  in  the  college 
had  not  declined,  notwithstanding  the  contraction  of  the 
sphere  of  emulation  and  competition  by  the  separation  which 
had  now  taken  place  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  establishments 
of  Fort  St.  George  and  Bombay. 

**  Since  the  last  meeting,"  continued  his  Lordship,  "  the 
*<  promotion  of  oriental  knowledge  in  the  British  service  in 

a  See  *«  The  College  of  Fort  William,"  p.  139. 


^30  MEMOIRS  OF 

**  India  has  proceeded  with  increased  success,  by  the  pro- 
*<  gress  of  the  studies  and  labours  of  the  gentlemen  of  this 
<^  college.  ■ 

<<  The  attention  also  of  the  officers  and  students  of  the  col- 
»*  lege  appears  to  have  been  successfully  directed  to  those 
»*  important  objects  of  discipline,  regularity,  and  good  order, 
♦^  which  formed  an  essential  part  of  my  recent  admonitions 
<*  from  this  place. 

<*  The  most  eminent  and  brilliant  success  in  the  highest 
"  objects  of  study,  will  prove  an  inadequate  qualification  for 
"  the  service  of  the  Company,  and  of  our  country  in  India, 
«'if  the  just  application  of  those  happy  attainments  be  not 
^<  secured  by  a  solid  foundation  of  virtuous  principles  and 
*^  correct  conduct." 

The  remainder  of  this  elaborate  address  is  occupied  with 
a  strong  recommendation  of  the  study  of  the  laws  and  regu- 
lations enacted  by  the  Governor  General  in  Council,  intro- 
duced by  <*that  great  and  worthy  statesman,"  as  Lord 
Wellesley  justly  styles  him,  "  the  Marquis  Cornwallis,  and 
«  improved  and  extended  by  succeeding  governments,  with 
•'  the  aid  of  the  talents,  knowledge,  and  virtues  of  Sir  George 
«  Barlow,"  for  the  administration  of  the  British  territories 
subject  to  the  Presidency  of  Bengal. 

In  consequence  of  the  reduction  in  the  extent  of  the  col- 
lege of  Fort  William,  referred  to  in  the  preceding  speecli, 
the  Governor  General  thought  it  expedient,  by  a  minute  in 
council,  dated  the  30th  of  April  1805,  to  declare,  that  the 
duties  at  present  committed  to  the  Provost  and  Vice-Provost 
of  the  college  might  be  performed  in  future  by  one  officer 
only,  with  the  designation  of  Provost.  His  Excellency, 
however,  deemed  it  to  be  proper,  in  consideration,  as  he  was 
pleased  to  express  it,  "  of  the  highly  meritorious  and  useful 
*^  services  rendered  to  the  college  by  the  present  Provost 
<^  and  Vice-Provost,  Mr.  Brown  ^nd  Mr.  Buchanan,"  to 
postpone  the  adoption  of  this  arrangement  until  a  vacancy 
should  occur  in  one  of  those  offices,  provided  that  the  Hon- 
ourable the  Court  of  Directors  should  be  pleased  to  sanction 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  g3i 

the  continuance  of  the  allowances  to  the  Provost  and  Vice- 
Provost  until  that  time. 

By  the  same  minute,  the  Governor  General  rescinded 
that  part  of  the  original  regulation  of  the  college,  by  which 
pensions  were  to  be  eventually  granted  to  certain  of  its  offi- 
cers, including  the  Provost  and  Vice-Provost,  until  the  far- 
ther pleasure  of  the  Court  of  Directors  should  have  been 
received. 

The  extensive  plan  of  the  college  of  Fort  William  had  ne- 
ver been  approved  by  one  distinguished  correspondent  of 
Mr.  Buchanan,  to  whom  he  had  been  in  the  habit  of  com- 
municating his  own  views  upon  that  subject.  This  disap- 
probation, it  appears,  had  been  plainly  expressed  to  him  ,•  in 
consequence  of  which,  early  in  this  year,  he  briefly  notices 
it  in  the  following  reply. 

"  I  have  forborne  saying  any  thing  to  you  respecting  the 
<*  college,  its  founder,  and  his  Indian  policy,  since  my  senti- 
«<  ments  on  these  subjects  can  afford  you  no  pleasure,  as  you 
«*  observe  in  your  last.  It  appears,  in  fact,  that,  since  the 
"  commencement  of  the  institution,  I  have  been  looking  to 
<<  one  object,  and  you  to  another.  In  its  dignity  and  extent, 
"  I  perceived  a  radical  revolution  in  the  European  charac- 
<^  ter,  the  future  civilization  of  India,  and  the  foundation  of 
<»'  an  Ecclesiastical  Establishment.  And  these  results  ap- 
''  pear  to  be  in  a  course  of  accomplishment. 

«*  Good  men  in  England  are  yet  in  ignorance  respecting 
*«  purpose  or  effects  of  this  institution.  I  mean  therefore  to 
"  publish  shortly  all  the  official  papers  relating  to  this  col- 
"  lege,  with  some  account  of  its  first  four  years.  This  will 
*«  be  acceptable  to  many,  and  useful  to  all.  In  the  mean 
"  time  I  have  written  a  short  Memoir  on  an  Ecclesiastical 
<*  Establishment  and  Indian  Civilization,  a  copy  of  which  I 
"  have  directed  the  bookseller  to  send  to  you.'* 

The  work  thus  announced  by  Mr.  Buchanan  respecting 
the  college,  was  accordingly  compiled  in  the  spring  of  1805, 
and  transmitted,  together  with  his  Ecclesiastical  Memoir, 
to  this  country,  where  it  was  published  towards  the  end  of 
the  year.     It  was  entitled.  ''  The  College  of  Fort  William 


2S2  MEMOIRS  OF 

ill  Bengal."  Mr.  Buchanan  did  not  affix  his  name  to  tuKf 
publication;  but  it  was  well  known  to  have  proceeded  from 
him,  and  he  afterwards  acknowledged  it.  A  short  prefatory 
note  states,  that  the  volume  contains  the  official  papers  and 
the  literary  proceedings  of  the  college  during  its  first  four 
years ;  and  it  was  intended  to  form  a  record  of  the  nature 
and  operations  of  that  institution  during  the  period  in  which 
alone  its  founder  could  be  considered  as  answerable  for  its 
success  ;  an  important  reduction  of  its  original  plan  having 
then  taken  place.  It  is  to  this  volume  that  reference  has 
been  frequently  made  in  the  preceding  pages,  in  noticing 
the  rise  and  progress  of  the  Eastern  college.  Besides  the 
documents  which  have  been  already  mentioned  relative  to 
the  foundation,  the  statutes,  and  the  defence  of  the  college, 
and  the  disputations  of  the  first  four  years,  it  contains  the 
public  examinations  in  regular  series,  with  a  list  of  the  stu- 
dents who  had  entered  on  service,  and  a  register  of  those 
who  had  obtained  degrees  of  honour ;  a  catalogue  of  works 
in  the  oriental  languages  and  literature,  published  by  mem- 
bers of  the  college  since  its  commencement ;  the  names  and 
offices  of  those  who  had  borne  any  part  in  the  conduct  of  the 
institution  ;  and  some  remarks  by  the  Editor  on  the  primary 
establishment  of  the  college,  and  on  the  operation  of  its  first 
four  years. 

In  these  remarks,  Mr.  Buchanan,  after  noticing  the  neces- 
sity and  importance  of  such  an  institution,  which  had  been 
proved  by  its  triumph  over  the  most  powerful  and  systema- 
tic opposition,  observes,  that  the  publication  of  an  hundred 
original  volumes  in  the  oriental  languages  and  literature  in 
the  term  of  four  years,  is  no  inconsiderable  proof  of  the 
flourishing  state  of  the  college,  as  a  literary  institution. 
That  was,  however,  but  one  of  its  subordinate  objects. 

«^  The  distinguished  proficiency  of  the  students  in  the  ori- 
^<  ental  languages,"  says  Mr.  Buchanan,  *<  is  the  proof  w^ 
"  would  propose  of  the  efficiency,  utility,  and  undoubted  sue- 
«  cess  of  the  college  of  Fort  William.  That  proficiency  is 
<«  great,  perhaps  beyond  example.  Gentlemen  who  have 
«  been  at  different  universities  in  Europe  acknowledge  that 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  ^33 

,**they  never  witnessed  at  any  of  them  more  numerous 
«« instances  of  ardent  application  to  study,  than  at  the  col- 
<«lege  of  Fort  William.  The  mathematical  vigils  of  Cam- 
<^  bridge  are  perhaps  more  severe  than  ours ;  (though  even 
"  with  us  there  have  been  instances  of  sixteen  hours  a  day 
^'  reading,  and  a  voyage  to  sea  in  consequence  for  recovery 
««  of  health  ;)  but  the  instances  of  close  application  at  Cam- 
«  bridge  are  not  so  general  as  at  Fort  AVilliam,  in  propor- 
<<  tion  to  the  number  of  students." 

The  two  chief  excellencies  of  this  institution  upon  which 
Mr.  Buchanan  insists  in  his  remarks,  are,  that  it  afforded 
to  young  men  the  opportunity  of  completing  the  usual  course 
of  an  English  education,  as  well  as  of  learning  the  oriental 
languages ;  and  that  it  gave  to  all  the  civil  servants  in 
India  equal  advantages  of  instruction,  and  of  consequent 
promotion  in  the  service. 

In  a  series  of  farther  remarks,  Mr.  Buchanan  points  out 
the  moral  and  economical  benefits  of  the  college,  which 
have  been  already  alluded  to ;  particularly  its  influence  in 
preventing  the  junior  servants  of  the  Company  from  incur- 
ring a  load  of  debt,  by  which  they  had  been  formerly -op- 
pressed. He  mentions  also  the  remarkable  fact,  that  during 
the  period  of  four  years  there  had  not  been  one  duel,  and 
but  one  death,  among  the  students  of  this  oriental  college. 
It  appears,  indeed,  as  if  these  indefatigable  young  men, 
like/  a  great  military  commander  of  a  former  age,  had  never 
been  sufficiently  at  leisure  to  be  vicious. 

The  work  from  which  this  sketch  of  the  institution  to 
which  they  belonged,  and  of  the  labours  of  all  its  oflicers  and 
members  has  been  derived,  will  be  perused  with  high  grati- 
fication by  those  who  feel  the  importance,  and  are  interested 
in  the  perpetuity,  and  the  just  and  beneficial  administration, 
of  our  Indian  empire. 

Towards  the  end  of  the  year  1804  and  the  commence- 
ment of  the  following  year,  a  considerable  degree  of  opposi- 
tion to  the  doctrines  inculcated  by  Messrs.  Brown  and  Bu- 
chanan had  been  manifested  by  two  or  three  of  the  other 
chaplains  of  the  Presidency.  Mr,  Buchanan  was  in  conse- 
•^  G  5? 


234!  MEMOIRS  OF 

quence  induced  to  preach  a  series  of  discourses  on  the  doc- 
trinal Articles  of  the  Church  of  England.  These«sermons 
were  of  a  very  superior  order,  and  were  productive  of  a  cor- 
responding effect,  in  checking  the  clamour  which  had  given 
birth  to  them.  In  an  introductory  discourse,  from  the  di- 
rection of  St.  Paul  to  Titus,  to  *«  speak  the  things  which 
•*  become  sound  doctrine,"  Mr.  Buchanan  took  occasion  to 
state  the  importance  of  that  digest  of  the  principal  points  of 
Christian  faith  exhibited  in  the  Articles,  Homilies,  and  Li- 
turgy of  our  Church.  He  afterwards  introduced  some  admi- 
rable remarks  on  the  new  complexion  which  some  of  her 
doctrines  have  derived  from  the  spirit  of  the  times,  from  in- 
attention to  the  religion  of  Christ,  and  the  ignorance  and 
prejudice  consequent  upon  it,  and  upon  the  necessity  of  cau- 
tion in  expressing  those  points  which  are  repugnant  to  hu- 
man pride,  or  which  may  be  thought  by  some  to  be  at  vari- 
ance with  human  reason.  He  exemplified  this  in  the  man- 
ner of  stating  the  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith,  and  of  the 
use  of  the  moral  law  under  the  dispensation  of  the  Gospel. 
The  following  practical  observation  upon  this  part  of  his 
subject  is  particularly  excellent. 

^«  Now  if  any  one  should  say,  *  I  cannot  yet  understand 
« this  argument  of  the  Apostle,  or  see  how  faith  can  thus 
«  work  by  love,  and  establish  the  law ;'  we  can  only  answer, 
"  that  must  be  because  you  have  not  sought  or  known  the 
*<  righteousness  of  Christ;  which  the  Apostle  saith  is  previ- 
*<  ously  necessary  to  your  having  any  sense  of  that  love  and 
•*  gratitude,  of  whieli  he  speaks.  Perhaps  you  have  not 
"  come  to  God  and  his  word  with  tlie  disposition  required. 
<*  Perhaps  to  this  moment  the  Scriptures  are  to  you  a  dead 
«<  letter ;  and  you  have  never  prayed  for  the  aid  of  that  Spi- 
«  rit  which  giveth  them  life,  with  any  hope  or  serious  ex- 
<*pectation  of  obtaining  it.  Perhaps  in  your  inquiry  after 
« the  truth  you  have  not  maintained  that  purity  of  heart  and 
*^  practice  which  is  required  by  tlie  precept  of  our  Saviour  : 
«  « If  any  man  will  do  the  will  of  God,  he  shall  know  of  the 
«  doctrine,  whether  it  be  of  God.'  " 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  ^35 

At  the  close  of  tliis  sermon,  Mr.  Buchanan  thus  announ- 
ced his  intention  as  to  the  subject  of  some  succeeding  dis- 
courses. 

<<  My  brethren,  you  cannot  be  indifferent  as  to  what  kind 
«  of  doctrines  are  delivered  to  you.  Your  regular  atten- 
*<  dance  on  the  worship  of  God  demonstrates  that  you  are 
*<  serious ;  and  if  there  be  seriousness  on  your  part,  it  be- 
'<  comes  us  to  shew  some  zeal  on  ours. 

^*  If  at  any  time  you  perceive  a  discrepancy  of  opinion 
*f  regarding  doctrine,  let  it  excite  you  to  inquire  into  the 
"  truth  for  yourselves ;  and  it  will  have  a  happy  conse- 
"  quence." 

Adverting  to  the  tendency  there  was  at  that  day  to  with- 
draw from  the  principles  of  our  forefathers  both  in  religion 
and  morals,  he  added,  "  I  purpose  to  preach  a  series  of  dis- 
"  courses  on  the  chief  doctrines  of  our  Church,  as  contained 
<«  in  her  Articles,  Liturgy,  and  Homilies  ;  and  to  illustrate 
«<  them  from  the  lives  and  writings  of  our  first  Reformers, 
<^  and  of  our  most  learned  and  pious  Divines.  The  object 
'«  will  be  to  shew,  what  that  religion  was,  which  enabled  our 
"  bishops  to  become  martyrs  to  the  faith,  and  to  contrast  its 
*<  genuine  principles  with  the  doctrines  frequently  set  forth 
"  at  this  day. 

"  Every  thing  spoken  from  this  place  ought  to  be  spoken 
**  for  edification.  We  are  accounted  the  stewards  of  the 
"  mysteries  of  God  ;  and  we  shall  soon  be  called  to  give  an 
*•  account  of  our  stewardship. 

«  To  obtain  your  approbation  is  desirable ;  but  the  great 
••object  of  our  ministry  ought  to  be,  to  lead  you  to  the  exer- 
"  cise  of  every  Christian  grace  and  virtue^  to  unfold  to  you 
"  the  beauty  and  harmony  of  the  Gospel,  its  power,  influ- 
•^  ence,  consolations,  and  reward ;  and  to  obtain  your  tes- 
^*  timony  after  we  are  gone,  that  we  have  not  *  shunned  to 
*<  declare  unto  you  the  whole  counsel  of  God.'  " 

In  the  second  of  this  valuable  series  of  discourses,  from 
the  words  of  the  Prophet  Isaiah,  chap.  Ix.  2.  **  For,  behold, 
*<  the  darkness  shall  cover  the  earth,  and  gross  darkness 
♦<  the  people,"  Mr.  Buchanan  thought  it  necessary  to  con- 


^36  MEMOIRS  OF 

sider  the  state  of  the  Church  previously  to  the  Reformation, 
in  order  that  the  magnitude  of  the  blessing  then  vouchsafed 
to  our  country  might  be  more  justly  estimated.  He  descri- 
bed in  striking  terms  the  mental  bondage  of  the  people  under 
the  dominion  of  the  Romish  church,  and  the  means  employ- 
ed to  perpetuate  that  bondage,  by  withholding  the  Scrip- 
tures from  them.  He  farther  stated  the  grand  doctrine  of 
antichrist  on  which  the  whole  fabric  of  his  superstition  was 
built ;  namely,  <<  that  a  man  could  justify  himself  in  the 
<«  sight  of  God  by  his  own  merits  and  observances  ;"  there- 
by dishonouring  the  sacrifice,  and  depreciating  the  merits 
of  our  Saviour  ;  and  shewed  that  the  chief  article  of  the  Re- 
formation, properly  so  called,  was  our  justification  by  the 
sole  merits  of  Christ ;  and  that  this  doctrine  was  declared 
by  our  Reformers  to  be  the  symbol  of  the  true  church,  and 
the  corner-stone  of  our  redemption. 

The  succeeding  sermon  contained   an   animated  view  of 
the  reformation  from  Popery  in  this  country  ;  of  the  transla- 
tion of  the  Scriptures  into  our  native  language,  and  the 
eagerness  with  which  they  were  read  by  all  ranks  of  the 
people  ;  and  of  the  first  great  labour  of  our  venerable  Refor- 
mers in  setting  forth  in  the  Articles  the  chief  doctrines  of 
Scripture,  in  elucidating  them  clearly  to  the  people  by  the 
Homilies,   and  in  establishing  by  the  Liturgy  an  unity  of 
faith  and  worship.  A  sketch  was  then  given  of  the  temporary 
revival  of  Popery  and   the   persecution   of  Protestantism, 
under  the  reign  of  Queen  Mary,  of  the  happy  restoration  of 
the  Reformed  Faith,  and  the  long  period  of  peace  and  tran- 
quillity which  followed  ;  of  the  triumph  of  fanaticism  in  the 
subsequent  age,  and  finally  of  the  rise  and  progress  of  infi- 
delity in  our  own.     Upon  these  two  last  topics  some  admira- 
ble observations  were  made  ;  and  as  at  the  time  when  Mr. 
Buchanan  delivered  these  discourses,  it  was  impossible  to 
foresee  how  far  the  reign  of  infidelity  might  extend,  he  occu- 
pied the  remainder  of  his  third  sermon  in  warning  his  dis- 
tinguished auditory  against  its  snares,  and  in  exhorting  them 
"0  diligent  examination  and  inquiry* 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  S37 

<<  Wherever  we  may  suspect  a  deviation  from  rectitude  of 
"  opinion,  let  us  look  In  general  to  the  first  principles  of  our 
<^  Church,  which  have  heen  engrafted  in  our  laws  and  con- 
^<  stitution,  which  have  been  honoured  and  acknowledged  of 
<<  God,  proved  in  the  day  of  trial,  and  found  perfect.  Let  us 
"  examine  ourselves,  whether,  after  making  every  allowance 
*<  for  the  difterent  state  of  society,  there  be  any  correspon- 
<<  dence  between  our  religious  principles,  and  those  of  the 
«  Fathers  of  our  Church.  These  principles  are  unalterable  in 
"their  importance  :  they  suffer  no  diminution  by  civil  im- 
<'  provement,  or  by  the  expansion  of  knowledge.  The  doc- 
"  trines  of  God  respect  the  state  of  the  soul,  and  the  condi- 
« tion  of  man  by  nature ;  and  <  are  the  same  yesterday, 
<<  to-day,  and  for  ever.'  The  reasons  which  urged  our  fore- 
*<  fathers  to  lay  down  their  lives  for  the  truth,  ought  to 
*^  be  known  and  felt  by  us.  Since  their  time,  the  same  truth 
*«  has  been  confirmed  by  additional  testimonies ;  if  we  obey 
**  it  not,  we  sin  against  our  own  souls  ;  and  God  hath  said, 
"that  he  will  not  urge  his  proofs  and  evidences  on  us 
*«  beyond  a  certain  limit.  When  the  conscience  and  un- 
"  derstanding  of  a  man  condemn  him,  he  has  no  reason  to 
*•  expect  any  additional  evidence  of  the  truth ;  but  rather 
"  a  diminution  of  its  weight,  by  his  habit  of  neglecting  it." 

This  able  and  interesting  sermon  closed  with  a  faithful  ap- 
peal to  the  consciences  of  his  hearers  as  to  various  points 
of  religious  declension  and  neglect,  and  with  a  series  of 
devout  aspirations  for  the  progress  and  permanence  of  reli- 
gion in  our  own  country. 

"Let  us  pray,"  said  Mr.  Buchanan,  "  that  our  country 
•'•'  may  ever  continue  to  be,  in  this  sense,  a  light  to  the  world, 
*<  and  an  example  to  the  nations ;  and  that  God  may  con- 
"  tinue  to  send  the  light  of  his  truth  into  the  hearts  of  kings 
•♦  and  of  all  that  be  in  authority,  that  the  kingdom  may 
"  ever  be  governed  according  to  his  will ;  and  that  in  par- 
"  ticular  we  in  this  place,  who  are  in  an  especial  manner 
*•  the  light  of  the  nations  around  us,  and  whose  example 
"  must  pervade  so  many  of  our  own  countrymen,  may  never 
**  want  a  succession  of  wise  and  good  men,    in  respectable 


338  MEMOIRS  OF 

«  stations,  to  uphold  the  interests  of  true  religion  and  virtue^ 
*'  so  shall  the  circumstances  of  our  residence  in  this  country 
**  be  improved  as  much  as  may  be ;  we  shall  be  grateful  for 
<<  the  benefits  we  enjoy,  and  we  shall  know  better  how  to 
«'  enjoy  them ;  at  the  same  time  that  we  shall  have  more 
'<  reason  to  expect  a  continuance  of  the  divine  blessing 
<«  amongst  us." 

The  fourth  discourse  in  this  series  on  the  words  of  St. 
Paul,  *<  In  Adam  all  die,"  contained  an  elaborate  statement 
of  the  doctrine  of  the  fall,  and  consequent  corruption  of  man- 
kind, as  the  groundwork  of  the  Christian  dispensation. 
« Unless  we  have  a  distinct  knowledge,"  observed  Mr. 
Buchanan,  <*  of  what  we  are  by  nature,  that  is,  of  the  state 
*<  of  the  soul  in  the  sight  of  God,  as  born  of  Adam,  we  shall 
«  never  be  able  to  appreciate  the  blessing  of  the  great  atone- 
"  ment.  Without  ajustviewof  this  primary  doctrine,  the 
'^  other  doctrines  of  the  New  Testament  will  appear  to  be 
<<  inconsistent,  or  without  foundation.  Our  justification  by 
«  Christ  the  second  Adam,  and  the  influence  of  the  Holy 
"  Spirit  in  renewing  the  corrupt  heart,  will  be  accounted 
<<  doctrines  of  a  mystical  nature,  or  they  will  be  interpreted 
^<  in  a  sense  suited  to  the  prejudices  or  passions  of  men." 

The  method  adopted  by  Mr.  Buchanan  in  this  sermon, 
after  previously  adverting  to  the  knowledge  of  the  subject 
attainable  by  the  light  of  nature,  was  first,  to  state  those 
passages  of  Scripture  on  which  the  doctrine  of  original  sin  is 
founded,  and  to  which  our  church  refers ;  to  set  forth  the 
terms  in  which  the  Church  expresses  herself  on  the  sub- 
ject, both  in  the  letter  of  the  article  and  in  her  illustrations 
of  it ;  and,  lastly,  to  declare  the  deviations  from  the  original 
sense  which  have  taken  place,  and  also  the  arguments  of  the 
recent  philosophy  in  their  favour.  He  afterwards  took  occa- 
sion to  confirm  his  own  representations  by  an  extract  from 
the  Bishop  of  Lincoln's  «  Elements  of  Christian  Theology ;" 
upon  w^hich  he  founded  the  following  brief  improvement  of 
the  whole  subject. 

"  If  we  are  indeed  in  a  lost  and  fallen  state,  exposed  to 
^*  the  displeasure  of  God,  (as  is  testified  even  by  the  mise- 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  239 

*<  ries  of  this  life,)  how  much  doth  it  become  us  to  consider, 
«  how  we  are  to  be  restored  to  his  favour  and  mercy. 

«  It  is  no  mark  of  our  penitence,  or  of  a  right  disposition, 
<<  to  allege,  that  w^e  are  not  liable  to  judgment  for  the  sin  of 
^^  our  nature.  The  accumulation  of  guilt  by  actual  sin  is 
*< sufficient  to  condemn  every  man;  it  condemns  him  now 
*<  at  the  bar  of  conscience,  and  ought  to  urge  him  to  the 
*'  most  serious  reflection  on  the  state  of  his  soul  in  the  sight 
«^  of  God.  The  delusion  of  many  is  this :  they  suppose  that 
« the  expressions  of  Scripture  concerning  a  renovation  of 
^'  heart  relate  merely  to  some  moral  reformation,  indepen- 
^«  dent  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  But  the  renovation  there  in- 
*^  tended  is  not  independent  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  The  ex- 
<«  pressions  alluded  to  are  founded  on  the  present  ruined  state 
"  of  the  soul ;  and  they  constitute  the  great  realities  of  re- 
<«vealed  truth.  If  it  be  true  that  our  nature  is  vitiated 
^<  by  the  taint  of  Adam's  sin  ;  it  is  true  also  that  the  heart 
<<  must  be  sanctified  by  the  Spirit  of  God  before  it  can  be 
"  restored  to  his  image  or  favour. 

<^  We  must  be  renewed  (saith  the  Apostle)  in  the  spirit  of 
<<  our  minds,  and  be  transformed  into  the  <  image  and  like- 
<<  ness'  of  the  second  Adam  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  came 
<«  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which  was  lost." 

The  next  sermon  was  on  the  redemption  and  restoration 
of  mankind  by  Jesus  Christ,  from  Romans  iii.  23 — ^31.  In 
the  discussion  of  this  most  important  subject,  Mr.  Buchanan 
first  inquired  what  method  God  was  pleased  to  adopt  for  the 
salvation  of  guilty  man,  in  consistency  with  his  own  justice; 
and  then  stated  the  objections  which  are  sometimes  made  to 
that  mode  of  salvation. 

After  describing  the  plan  of  redemption  which  unbelievers 
and  Socinians  allege  to  be  alone  consistent  with  our  natural 
ideas  of  divine  Justice  and  mercy,  Mr.  Buchanan  decisively 
replied,  that  this  method  of  salvation  was  not  adopted,  be- 
cause  in  the  first  pJace  man  could  not,  as  they  propose, 
'^  keep  the  moral  law;"  and  in  the  next,  because  he  is 
already  in  a  state  of  condemnation.  Justification  by  the 
grace  of  God  through  tlie  redemption  which  is  in  Christ 


2^0  MP^MOmS  OF 

Jesus,  and  by  faith  in  his  blood,  is  the  <<  wholesome  and  com- 
"  fortable  doctrine"  which  was  then  established.  In  replying 
to  the  d«-nial  of  this  doctrine  by  the  Soeinians,  Mr.  Bu- 
chanan added  the  following  important  observation. 

*<  This  doctrine  of  justification  by  works  is  in  substance 
*'  also  the  doctrine  of  the  Romish  church  ;  and  it  will  always 
"  be  the  popular  doctrine  among  Christians  who  have  little 
**  true  religion,  by  whatever  denomination  they  may  be 
*<  called.  For  it  is  the  doctrine  of  the  worlds  it  is  found 
« where  the  name  of  Christ  is  not  known;  and  it  is  the 
**  spirit  of  everv  false  religion  and  superstition  upon  earth." 

The  succeeding  passage,  which  concluded  the  sermon  on 
the  nature  of  justifying  faith,  and  on  the  security  afforded 
by  that  doctrine  to  the  interests  of  morality,  is  in  a  strain  of 
scriptural  and  elevated  piety,  which  cannot  but  be  accepta- 
ble to  the  reader. 

<^  It  is  true  that  some  who  hold  this  doctrine  of  justification 
<«  by  works  use  the  expressions  of  Scripture,  and  will  per- 
"  haps  allow  that  faith  is  necessary  to  salvation.  But  what 
'« kind  of  faith  is  by  them  intended  ?  If  a  man  believe  in  the 
^«  general  truth  of  the  Christian  religion,  he  is  said  by  them 
^<  to  have  faith.  If  his  understanding  be  convinced  by  its 
**  evidencies,  he  is  accounted  by  them  to  have  faith.  And 
"this faith  also,  saith  the  Apostle  James,  »  have  the  devils, 
<<  for  they  also  believe.'  All  men  whose  understandings  are 
<«  not  obscured  by  pride  or  evil  passion,  must  believe  the 
**  evidence  of  the  Christian  religion  ;  but  they  have  not 
"therefore  that  faith  in  the  blood  of  Christ  which  justifies 
«  the  guilty  soul.  The  faith  which  so  justifies  is  the  <  gift 
"  of  God ;'  it  is  a  reliance  on  the  propitiation-  of  Christ, 
"  wrought  in  the  soul  of  the  penitent  sinner  by  the  operation 
"  of  God's  holy  Spirit. 

"  It  is  a  faith  which  cannot  be  understood  by  any  one  who. 
*<  has  passed  through  life  a  stranger  «  to  the  tears  of  repen- 
"  tance.'  If  he  cannot  recollect  any  interval  of  contrition  of 
"  heart  for  his  past  sins,  any  season  of  earnest  prayer  to  be 
"  accepted  in  Christ,  and  to  obtain  an  interest  in  his  atone- 
"  ment,  it  is  not  probable  that  he  can  have  any  knowledge  of 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  21ti 

«  a  saving  faith.  Such  an  one  will  not  understand  our 
*«  Church  when  she  saith,  ^  that  a  man  is  justified  by  his 
"  faith  in  Christ  only  ;'  and  <  that  works  are  shut  out  from 
<«  the  office  of  justifying.'  The  language  of  the  Scriptures 
"  and  of  our  Church  must  ever  continue  to  be  equally  doubt- 
/^  ful  to  him;  some  casual  notice  of  their  doctrines  may  be 
<*  taken;  but  he  will  never  enter  with  delight  or  with  confi- 
^*  dence  into  the  spirit  and  elucidation  of  them. 

"  We  shall  conclude  with  shewing,  that  the  interests  of 
<^  morality  are  best  secured  by  a  true  faith  in  our  Re- 
«  deemer. 

*'  It  is  worthy  of  observation,  that  though  our  Church 
<'  teaches  that  the  sinner  is  justified  by  faith  only,  she  has 
^'  never  been  accused  of  neglecting  good  works ;  and  though 
"the  Apostle  Paul  teaches  that  the  sinner  is  justified  by 
<*  faith  only,  he  has  never  been  charged  with  overlooking 
^«  moral  duties.  It  is  probable  then  that  the  doctrine  of 
"  both  is  favourable  to  virtuous  practice.  Both  insist  fully 
**  on  moral  duties  ;  and  both  deduce  the  right  performance 
^«  of  these  duties  from  a  justifying  faith  ;  they  shew,  that  the 
*<  right  performance  springs  from  it,  and  that  without  it  we 
**  cannot  please  God  in  any  duty. 

<«  The  true  doctrine  of  our  Church  is,  that  every  man's 
"  person  must  be  accepted  in  Christ,  before  he  can  do  any 
*«  thing  pleasing  and  acceptable  to  God ;  that  is,  he  must  be 
"  considered  as  a  friend,  and  not  as  an  enemy  ;  as  one  re- 
*<  conciled  to  God  through  the  death  of  his  Son,  and  not 
^f «  as  far  off  and  alienated  from  him  ;'  as  an  adopted  child 
<«  of  God,  and  not  as  of  the  world. 

"The  doctrine  of  our  Church  maintains,  that  no  man  can 
«  glorify  God  by  his  works,  until  he  be  restored  to  the  fa- 
«  vour  of  God  through  that  faith  which  justifies  his  person  ; 
<«  that  until  the  heart  be  purified  by  the  grace  of  God,  and 
^«  the  motives  of  action  be  under  the  influence  of  his  Spirit, 
<'  we  can  neither  glorify  God  in  our  business  nor  in  our  devo- 
« tions,  neither  in  solitude  nor  in  a  tumult,  neither  by  absti- 
<^nence  nor  by  festivity.  Our  works,  however,  will  ever 
« testify  of  our  faith,  of  what  sort  it  is  ;  whether  it  be  a  gen- 

H  2 


:g4S  MEMOIRS  OF 

**  ei'al  belief  in  Christianity,  wliicli  is  common  to  good  and 
**  bad  men,  or  a  true  and  lively  faith  wrought  in  the  heart 
«'  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  *  leading  the  soul  captive  to  the 
"  obedience  of  Christ.' 

*<  Many  who,  for  a  time,  resisted  the  doctrine  of  <  justifi- 
**  cation  by  faith,'  have  at  last  embraced  it,  as  the  only  hope 
»«  of  salvation.  Oftentimes,  in  the  season  of  sickness  or  of 
"  affliction,  when  the  soul  is  humbled,  and  begins  to  take  a 
•<  review  of  her  past  sins,  and  to  look  out  earnestly  for  a 
"  right  foundation  of  her  hope,  the  pride  of  moral  merit  is 
»<  abandoned,  and  she  is  enabled,  through  the  grace  of  God, 
*<  to  view  the  great  propitiation  for  her  sins,  and  to  exercise 
»<  a  lively  faith  in  its  efficacy. 

"  Then  it  is  that  the  doctrine  will  be  perceived  to  be, 
"  what  our  Church  calls  it,  *  a  most  wholesome  doctrine,  and 
<<  very  full  of  comfort.'  It  is  rvholesome,  because  it  will  urge 
*^  the  soul  to  good  works,  from  a  principle  of  love  to  the  Re- 
»*deemer  who  has  justified  her;  from  a  sense  of  that  un- 
*«  merited  mercy  by  which  she  is  saved  ;  and  from  a  grati- 
"tude  which  will  ever  render  her  duties  not  a  task,  but  a 
"  labour  of  love,  in  which  she  is  willingly  engaged. 

"  This  doctrine  is  also  «  full  of  comfort ;'  for  now  the  soul 
*<  hath  peace  with  God.  In  her  former  state,  while  she  de- 
<'  pended  on  a  righteousness  of  her  own,  there  was  no  peace; 
^«  but  doubt,  and  fear,  and  misgivings  of  conscience.  But 
*'now  there  is  peace,  because  there  is  acceptance;  and  there 
<«  is  acceptance,  because  the  soul  appears  in  a  righteousness 
**  not  her  own,  even  in  the  complete  righteousness  of  Christ, 
"  by  which  she  is  restored  in  a  measure  to  the  image  of  God, 
«  reconciled  to  his  favour,  and  thus  becomes  an  heir  of  the 
<*  promises  and  of  eternal  life." 

The  last  of  these  admirable  discourses  was  on  the  nature 
and  necessity  of  the  operation  of  the  Spirit  of  God  to  lead 
the  soul  to  accept  of  the  redemption  which  had  been  pre- 
viously described. 

"  Our  Church  teaches,"  observed  Mr.  Buchanan,  <«  that 
"the  grace  of  God  is  necessary  to  produce  in  us  repentance 
«  from  dead  works  to  a  life  of  righteousness ;  to  enlighten 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  S43 

•<  our  minds  in  all  necessary  truth;   and  to  inspire  the  soul 
*'  with  a  stedfast  faith  in  tlje  word  of  God." 

This  view  of  the  doctrine  of  our  Church  was  next  confirm- 
ed by  the  tenth  Article,  and  elucidated  by  a  second  quota- 
tion from  the  "  Elements  of  Christian  Theology.-'  Tiie 
transforming  effects  produced  by  the  operation  of  the  Spirit 
on  the  hearts  of  men,  which  are  sometimes  denominated 
*«  repentance  unto  life,"  sometimes  **  conversion  of  the  heart,'* 
and  sometimes  <«  the  being  born  again,"  were  then  consid- 
ered; after  which  the  following  objection  to  the  doctrine  of 
divine  grace  was  thus  noticed,  and  satisfactorily  answered. 

«•  It  is  alleged,"  observed  Mr.  Buchanan,  <*  that  the  grace 
•^of  Ood,  if  it  operate  at  all,  must  be  irresistible  ;  and  if  ir- 
"  resistible,  then  is  free-will  destroyed,  and  man  can  no 
<<  longer  act  as  a  voluntary  agent,  and  an  accountable  being. 
^*  It  is  indeed  diHicult  for  us  to  comprehend  how  the  fore- 
<*  knowledge  of  God  can  be  consistent  with  the  free-will  of 
*'  man;  but  then  this  is  a  difficulty  which  is  common  to  all 
*<  systems  of  religion  and  philosophy  ;  and  it  ought  not  to  be 
*<  once  mentioned  as  being  peculiar  to  the  Christian  religion, 
f'  or  as  invalidating  any  doctrine  which  it  teaches.  It  is  one 
*<  of  those  difficulties  which  are  equally  obvious  to  all,  even 
»*  to  the  meanest  capacities,  and  whose  solution  is  equally  re- 
*«  mote  from  all.  It  is  left  unnoticed  in  Scripture,  as  if  to 
'<  humble  the  pride  of  human  understanding,  and  to  baffle 
<*  the  reason  of  man  *  attempting  to  find  out  his  Maker  to 
"  perfection.'  But  at  the  same  time  it  seems  to  assure  us  oi 
^<  another  state  of  being,  where  higher  degrees  of  knowledge 
*<  and  of  intellect  shall  be  bestowed.  As  to  man's  freedom 
"  of  will  in  acting  the  part  of  a  rational  and  accountable 
*«  creature,  it  is  constantly  testified  in  Scripture.  The  whole 
<^  word  of  God  seems  to  be  addressed  to  men  who  have  per- 
'f  feet  freedom  of  will  to  use  the  means  of  salvation.  In  re- 
"  ply  to  what  is  alleged  by  some  of  the  irresistible  effects  of 
<«  grace,  we  are  warned  <  not  to  receive  the  grace  of  God  in 
<*  vairii^ '  not  to  quench  the  Spirit,  nor  to  do  despite  to  the  Spi- 
"  rit  of  grace.'  And  our  Church  plainly  declares  the  same 
'<  thing  in  the  following  words.   '  After  we  have  received  the 


^4*  MEMOIRS  OF 

•*  Holy  Ghost,  we  may  depart  from  grace  given,  and  fall  into 
"  sin,  and  by  the  grace  of  God  we  may  rise  again  and  amend 
'<  our  lives.'     This  doctrine  will  discover  itself  to  the  hum- 
•*  ble  inquirer  (who  will  put  its  efficacy  to  the  proof)  as  be- 
«  ing  perfectly  consistent  with  his  most  rational  ideas  of  the 
^«  communication  of  the  divine  assistance.     It  is  moreover 
•^the  very  fountain  of  life  to  the  soul ;  for  without  the  aid  of 
"  God's  Spirit,  a  Christian  will  make  no  nearer  approaches 
i(  to  heaven  by  his  learning,  labours,  and  works,  than  a  hea- 
«  then.     Until  the  Spirit  of  God  regenerate  the  heart,  all 
"  hearts  must  remain  in   their  natural  state  in  the  sight  of 
'^  God.     Some  men  may  be  more  civilized  than  others;  some 
«  more  learned,  more  humane,  more  benevolent,  more  virtu- 
*i  ous ;   as  it  was  in  the  heathen  world  in  different  ranks,  fa- 
*'  milies,   and  individuals.     But  spiritual  life  there  is  none. 
"  They  are  still  children  of  the  firvSt  Adam,  and  will  continue 
^«  to  be  such  till  they   are  renewed  in  their  minds  by  the 
"power  of  the  divine   Spirit,  and  are  made   to  *  bear  the 
"  image  of  tlie  heavenly.' " 

Here  Mr.  Buchanan  closed  his  elaborate  and  eloquent 
exposition  of  the  leading  doctrines  of  our  Church.  The  con- 
clusion of  the  whole  is,  however,  so  important,  and  exhibits 
the  character  of  the  author  of  these  sermons,  as  a  preacher, 
and  as  an  able  and  faithful  minister  of  the  Gospel,  in  so  just 
and  elevated  a  point  of  view,  that  his  biographer  could  not 
consider  himself  as  doing  justice  to  his  subject,  were  he  to 
omit  it ;  though  to  some  it  may  appear,  that  this,  as  well  as 
a  former  extract,  is  scarcely  within  the  appropriate  limits  of 
these  Memoirs. 

<«  I  have  now,  my  brethren,  set  before  you  those  impor- 
^«  tant  doctrines  of  our  Church,  which  are  certainly  too 
«  much  neglected  at  this  day.  The  purpose  I  had  in  view 
<*  will  be  answered,  if  it  excite  in  those  who  doubt  or  misap- 
<«  prebend  them  a  serious  inquiry  into  their  truth  and  im- 
"  portance.  The  sources  of  knowledge  are  open  to  all.  It 
"  is  always  an  advantage  to  the  truth  to  be  fully  tried,  ex- 
"  amined,  and  compared.  The  very  doubts  of  men  are  use- 
*«  ful  to  it,  in  putting  it  upon  its  defence,   and  leading  to  its 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  245 

*<  better  confirmation.  Let  us  not  then  supinely  suffer  any 
« innovation  in  the  doctrines  of  our  Church,  since  we  are 
«  able  to  judge  for  ourselves,  and  can  refer  <  to  the  law  and 
« to  the  testimony.' 

<<  The  doctrines  which  we  have  discussed  are  commonly 
*i  called  the  doctrines  of  grace  ;  and  with  propriety,  for  they 
*<  are  the  peculiar  doctrines  of  the  Gospel.  They  exalt  and 
"  glorify  the  Creator,  and  humble  the  creature ;  they  are  at 
"  unity  with  themselves,  and  harmonize  with  each  other  ', 
"  he  who  receives  one  of  them,  will  receive  them  all ;  and 
"  he  who  rejects  one,  will  reject  them  all. 

<<  The  preaching  the  doctrines  of  grace  differs  from  preach- 
«<  ing   morality  on  merely  human  motives,    as   light  from 
*<  darkness.     The  preachers  among  the  heathen  around  us, 
**  and  the  teachers  of  philosophy  without  religion,  can  say, 
<«  <  Thou  shalt  not  kill,  thou  shalt  not  steal,  thou  shalt  not 
"  bear  false  witness  ;'  they  can  inculcate  justice,  prudence, 
"  and  temperance,  from   very  strong  and  very  persuasive 
*'  motives ;  but  they  cannot  teach  those  good  works  which 
<«  flow  from  the  Christian  doctrines  of  grace.     They  cannot 
<<  teach  a  hatred  of  sin,  or  a  contrition  of  heart  for  offending 
<«  God  ;  they  cannot  teach  us  « to  bless  them  which  persecute 
<«  us,  and  to  pray  for  them  who  despitefuUy  use  us.'     They 
«  cannot  suppress  envies,  secret  resentments,  and  evil  speak- 
^<  ings  against  those  who  differ  from  us  in  opinion.     They 
*«  cannot  produce  love  to  God,  a  lively  gratitude  for  his  daily 
«  mercies,  and  delight  in  his  service.     They  cannot  urge 
♦«  us  to  labour  in  the  word  and  doctrine  according  to  our  pro- 
"  fession,  our  ability,  or  our  means ;  and  to  be  anxiously 
<<  concerned  about  the  salvation  of  the  souls  of  men.  Finally, 
'<  they  cannot  teach  us  patience  in  affliction,  joy  in  tribula- 
<•  tion,  and  a  well  founded  hope  in  death. 

"The  grand  test  of  the  truth  of  the  doctrines  of  grace  is 
«f  their  influence  at  the  hour  of  death.  This  is  a  proof  which 
^<  is  ever  present  with  the  church  of  Christ,  and  which  will 
"in  every  place  distinguish  the  true  doctrine  from  the 
"  false. 


^^  MEMOIRS  OF 

^*No  sinner  ever  yet  departed  this  life  with  a  lively  hope 
<*  in  God,  and  with  confidence  of  salvation  by  his  Redeemer, 
<*  who  was  a  stranger  to  the  doctrines  of  grace.  No  Christ- 
*<  ian,  who  denies  these  doctrines,  can  have  any  hope  that 
"  he  will  be  enabled  to  triumph  at  his  last  hour,  <  desiring 
"to  depart  as  being  far  better;'  and  thus  leave  to  his  fa- 
<^  mily  behind  him  a  testimony  to  the  truth  by  his  stedfast 
•^  faith. 

^«  By  some  such  a  dissolution  is  not  expected  in  any  cir- 
'( cumstances ;  such  a  testimony  is  not  looked  for.  They 
"  hear  indeed  of  such  instances  among  others,  but  they  are 
« willing  to  believe  that  they  are  not  true;  for  if  they  be, 
<<  they  know  that  their  own  hope  cannot  rest  on  the  right 
*'  foundation, 

<*  All  preaching  ought  to  have  reference  to  the  sinner's 
«  hope  in  death  ;  for  whatever  is  short  of  this,  is  doing  nothing 
"  for  eternity.  We  must  all  soon  come  to  that  state  when 
<<  the  doctrines  which  we  have  individually  received  will  be 
^<  put  to  the  proof,  and  their  efficacy  manifested  to  others ; 
i(  we  must  soon  be  in  those  circumstances,  when  every  vain 
<<  refuge  shall  be  swept  away,  and  the  truth  of  God  shall 
<*  alone  prevail. 

<*  I  have  discharged  a  duty,  my  brethen,  in  setting  plainly 
><  before  you  th?>se  doctrines  of  our  religion,  which  I  am  my- 
<<self  fidly  convinced  can  alone  produce  the  fruits  of  right- 
"  eousness  and  the  good  works  of  the  New  Testament.  I 
«  am  further  convinced,  that  they  alone  can  give  peace  to 
"  the  soul,  and  comfort  in  death.  TJiey  are  the  doctrines 
**of  the  Church  of  England,  the  good  old  religion  of  our  an- 
<<  cestors  ;  without  taint  of  Romish  corruption,  of  Socinian- 
<*  ism,  or  of  modern  philosophy.  Nor  am  1  conscious  of  hav- 
<«  ing  used  a  single  expression  or  sentiment  which  does  not 
<^  accord  with  the  language  and  spirit  of  our  Church  and  of 
"the  holy  Scriptures;  and  I  must  continue,  to  believe  this, 
"  till  I  am  convinced  of  the  contrary  by  well  ordered  proof, 

"  These  are  the  doctrines  which  I  have  ever  maintained, 
^<  and  which  I  ever  desire  to  uphold  in  my  ministry :  and  on 
•^^  whatever  other  subjects  I  may  occasionally  dwell,  the 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  247 

"  truth  and  admission  of  these  doctrines  is  always  to  be  un- 
<*  derstood. 

"  It  is  easy  to  discourse  on  more  pleasing  and  popular  sub- 
ejects;  but  it  is  not  so  profitable  to  you.  Some  may  not 
"  approve ;  but  to  others  ^  the  word  preached  may  be  made 
"the  power  of  God  unto  salvation.'  If  our  doctrine  give  no 
"  offence  to  the  world  in  general,  ye  know  that  it  can  be  no 
"longer  the  doctrine  of  Christ.  It  is  <  another  Gospel.'  It 
^'  is  a  doctrine  which  may  confirm  our  hearers  in  error,  and 
"  lead  them  onward  to  old  age  with  no  better  view  of  hea- 
"  venly  things  than  that  of  the  infidel. 

•*  It  is  a  view  of  our  lost  estate  by  nature  and  actual  guilt 
«  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  then  a  view  of  the  great  propitia- 
"  tion  on  the  cross,  which  alone  can  open  to  our  understand- 
"  ings  the  transcendant  and  ineffable  glory  of  the  Gospel  of 
"  Christ.  Nor  can  such  a  view  be  exhibited,  even  in  the 
"lowest  degree,  but  by  the  influence  of  the  divine  grace, 
"  cooperating  with  our  prayers,  by  enlightening  the  judg- 
"  ment  and  purifying  the  heart. 

"But  the  aid  of  the  Holy  Spirit  Ms  promised  to  them 
"  who  ask  it.'  Thus  are  we  encouraged  to  begin  the  work 
"  of  our  salvation  in  the  most  rational  manner,  and  by  the 
"  most  natural  means.  And  those  who  can  prevail  on  them- 
"  selves  to  begin  thus  seriously,  will  find  the  truth  of  God's 
"  promises  confirmed  to  them  in  every  progressive  stage  of 
"  religious  knowledge  and  practical  virtue. 

"  The  life  of  such  persons  is  thus  described  in  one  of  the 
"  Articles  of  the  Church,  commencing  from  the  period  of 
"  their  first  seeking  the  aid  of  the  divine  Spirit,  unto  the 
"  end  of  their  course. 

"  <  Wherefore  they  be  called,  according  to  God's  purpose, 
"  by  his  Spirit  working  in  due  season ; 

"^They  through  grace  obey  the  calling; 

(<  (  They  be  justified  freely ; 

"  «  They  be  made  sons  of  God  by  adoption  ; 

"  *  They  be  made  like  the  image  of  his  only  begotten  Sou 
»•  Jesus  Christ ; 


248  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  <  They  walk  religiously  in  good  works ;  and  at  length, 
"  by  God's  mercy, 

"  ^  They  attain  to  everlasting  felicity.' " 

The  impression  of  these  sermons  upon  his  audience  was, 
as  we  have  already  observed,  considerable.  There  were 
probably  some  whose  prejudices  or  whose  passions  would 
render  them  proof  against  both  the  reasonings  and  the  ex- 
hortations of  their  author ;  though  the  one  were  unquestiona- 
bly sound  and  scriptural,  and  the  other  powerful  and  persua- 
sive. There  were  doubtless,  however,  others,  who  were  in- 
structed, confirmed,  and  edified  by  his  labours ;  while  these, 
whether  accepted  or  refused,  afford  an  evidence  of  his  fide- 
lity as  a  minister  and  ambassador  of  Christ,  which  will 
hereafter  <«  testify  for  him  before  his  glorious  throne." 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  j^g 


CHAPTER  IV. 


IN  prosecution  of  the  design  which  Mr.  Buchanan  had 
conceived  of  effectuall}^^  exciting  the  puhlic  attention  in  this 
country  to  the  ohligations  of  Great  Britain  to  promote  the 
religious  welfare  of  its  oriental  dominions,  and  which  he  had 
already  partially  executed  by  tlie  proposal  of  his  first  series 
of  prizes,  and  the  publication  of  his  own  ^^  Memoir;"  he  on 
the  4th  of  June  1805,  addressed  to  the  Vice-Chancellors 
of  the  Universities  of  Oxford  and  Cambridge,  the  proposal 
of  the  following  subjects  of  prize  composition. 

"  For  the  best  work  in  English  prose  embracing  the  fol- 
"  lowing  subjects : 

"  I.  The  probable  design  of  the  divine  Providence  in  sub- 
"  jecling  so  large  a  portion  of  Asia  to  the  British  dominion. 

<*  II.  The  duty,  the  means,  and  the  consequences  of  trans- 
*<  lating  the  Scriptures  into  the  oriental  tongues,  and  of  pro- 
'<  moting  Christian  knowledge  in  Asia. 

"  III.  A  brief  historic  view  of  the  progress  of  the  Gospel 
"  in  different  nations,  since  its  first  promulgation ;  illustra- 
'« ted  by  maps,  shewing  its  luminous  tract  throughout  the 
«  world  ;  with  chronological  notices  of  its  duration  in  parti- 
'<  cular  places." 

The  candidates  were  permitted  to  prefix  such  title  to  the 
proposed  w^ork  as  they  might  think  proper;  and  the  munifi- 
cent prize  offered  by  Mr.  Buchanan  upon  this  occasion  to 
each  University  was  the  sum  of  five  hundred  pounds.  He 
directed,  that  the  prizes  should  be  determined  on  the  4th  of 
June  1807,  being  the  anniversary  of  the  birth  of  our  venera- 
ble Sovereign;  <*  whose  religious  example,"  Mr.  Buchanan 
added,  «♦  had  extended  its  influence  to  that  remote  part  of 
**  his  empire," 

The  letters  conveying  intelligence  of  these  very  liberal 
offers  were  received  towards  the  close  of  the  year.  They 
were  soon  afterwards  accepted  by  both  Universities ;  and 

1  2 


jg^  MEMOIRS  OF 

the  spring  of  the  year  1807  was  appointed  as  the  period  for 
the  delivery  of  the  prize  compositions  to  the  judges  who 
were  to  determine  their  merits. 

A  feW  days  subsequent  to  the  date  of  these  proposals  to  the 
English  Universities,  and  not  long  before  the  departure  of 
Marquis  Wellesley  from  Bengal,  Mr.  Buchanan  communi- 
cated to  his  Lordship  his  wish  to  be  absent  from  Calcutta 
during  four  months,  for  the  benefit  of  his  health,  which  his 
residence  and  labours  in  India  had  considerably  impaired; 
and  for  the  purpose  of  proceeding  to  the  coast  of  Malabar, 
with  the  view  of  obtaining  information  relative  to  certain 
religious  objects,  which  were  particularly  specified  in  his 
letter,  and  will  be  hereafter  fully  detailed. 

With  this  request  the  Governor  General  signified  official- 
ly his  ready  compliance  ;  together  with  his  entire  approba- 
tion of  Mr.  Buchanan's  intended  journey.  It  was  added,  that 
the  governments  of  Fort  St.  George  and  Bombay  would  be 
requested  to  afford  him  every  assistance,  as  well  in  the  pro- 
gress of  his  journey,  by  the  accommodation  of  the  dawk 
bearers,  or  other  conveyances  of  government,  as  in  the 
prosecution  of  his  inquiries  on  the  coast  of  Malabar. 

While  Mr.  Buchanan  was  preparing  for  this  important 
and  interesting  journey,  he  was,  for  the  present,  prevented 
from  fulfilling  his  intentions  by  a  serious  illness,  the  ap- 
proach of  which  lie  first  perceived  on  the  13th  of  August.  He 
was  well  enough  to  meet  Lord  Wellesley  at  dinner  the  next 
day,  and  on  the  two  following  complained  only  of  weakness 
and  languor.  On  the  17th  a  decided  attack  of  fever  came 
on  ;  and  on  the  19th  danger  was  apprehended  by  his  physi- 
cian. 

Of  this  alarming  illness,  a  brief  but  remarkable  memorial 
has  been  preserved  in  the  handwriting  of  Mr.  Brown,  who 
appears  to  have  attended  and  watched  over  Ijis  valued  friend 
and  coadjutor  with  fraternal  anxiety  and  affection.  The 
feelings  and  sentiments  of  Mr.  Buchanan  at  this  trying  sea- 
son, as  described  in  the  paper  alluded  to,  are  such  as  while 
they  may  surprise  a  certain  class  of  readers,  will  appear  to 


DR.  BUCHANAN.         .  25i 

better  judges  to  be  the  genuine  effusions  of  a  pious  mind, 
alive  to  the  apprehended  solemnities  of  a  dying  hour. 

On  the  evening  of  the  20th  of  August,  Mr.  Buchanan 
spoke  much  to  his  friend  of  his  state  and  views  ;  said  that  he 
had  been  looking  for  his  hope  in  the  Bible,  and  that  he  had 
found  it  in  the  51st  Psalm,  and  in  the  history  of  the  peni- 
tent thief  upon  the  cross.  He  at  the  same  time  gave  direc- 
tions to  Mr.  Brown  respecting  the  college,  his  papers,  and 
his  affairs.  The  next  day  Mr.  Buchanan  was  still  more 
strongly  impressed  with  the  idea  that  he  should  not  recover. 
Under  this  persuasion,  he  mentioned  the  place  in  which  he 
wished  to  be  interred,  made  some  observations  respecting 
his  books,  and  desired  that  his  sermons  might  be  published 
after  the  arrival  of  his  <*  Memoir"  in  India. 

Mr.  Buchanan  next  adverted  to  his  experience  and  views 
as  a  Christian  :  declared  his  entire  renunciation  of  his  own 
merits  as  any  ground  of  acceptance  with  God,  lamented  his 
unprofitableness,  and  spoke  of  himself  in  terms  of  the  deep- 
est humility.  He  then  again  referred  to  the  church  and  to 
the  college,  and  suggested  various  hints  respecting  both. 
After  this  he  recurred  to  his  present  feelings  and  circum- 
stances. He  expressed  his  fear  of  living,  and  his  desire  of 
being  received  as  the  least  and  lowest  of  the  servants  of 
God.  He  was  anxious  to  glorify  Him  by  his  death,  and 
prayed  to  be  preserved  from  the  enemy  at  the  last  hour, 
that  he  might  not  do  or  say  any  thing  to  weaken  the  testimo- 
ny he  had  borne  to  the  truth  in  that  place.  There  was  no- 
thing, he  said,  upon  earth  for  wiiich  he  had  a  wish,  besides 
his  wife  and  children ;  that  she  was  much  before  him  in  ex- 
perimental knowledge,  and  had  been  twice  on  the  wing  to 
leave  the  world;  (he  knew  not,  alas!  that  she  had  in  fact  al- 
ready taken  her  flight !)  that  his  children  would  be  brought 
up  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  tlie  Lord  ;  that  if  sent 
to  Scotland,  they  would  be  in  the  heart  of  Sunday-schools 
and  of  true  religion ;  or  that  in  England,  the  .  .  .'s,  and 
other  friends  who  feared  God,  would  take  care  of  them. 
After  thus  speaking  of  his  children,  Mr.  Buchanan  alluded 
to  a  painful  letter  which  he  had  lately  received  from  one  of 


^5^^  MEMOIRS  OF 

bis  correspondents;  and  lamented  what  he  considered  his 
unkindness,  in  forbearing  to  encourage  him  during  the  la- 
bours of  the  last  five  years.  He  then  expressed  a  hope,  that 
his  death  would  prove  useful  to  two  persons  whom  he  parti- 
cularly named. 

On  the  morning  of  the  22d,   Mr.  Brown,  on  entering  his 
sick  chamber,   found  him  still  fixed  in  his   opinion  that  he 
should  die,  and  opening  his  spiritual  state  to  another  Chris- 
tian friend.    He  then  took  a  review  of  the  way  in  which  the 
providence  of  God  had  led  him  from  his  earliest  years ; 
and  gave  his  friends  a  brief  sketch  of  his  history  :  the  ro- 
mantic project  of  his  youth;   his  residence  in  London;   his 
conversion  to  the  faith  and  practice  of  a  real  Cliristian ;  his 
career  at  Cambridge  ;  his  voyage  to  India  ;  and  his  compa- 
rative banishment  during  the  first  three  years  of  his  resi- 
dence  in  that  country.     At  this  critical  period,  Mr.  Bu- 
chanan observed,  his  call  by  Lord  Wellesley  to  the  chap- 
laincy of  the  Presidency,  and  the  subsequent  establishment 
of  the  college,  had  given  him  an  important  work  to  perform  ; 
that  his  preaching,  indeed,  (notwithstanding  the  specimens 
which  have  been  before  given  of  its  ability  and  excellence, 
such  was  the  high  standard  to  which  he  aspired,)  had  been 
unsatisfactory  to  himself,  but  that  his  spiritual  labours  and 
opportunities  in  college,  though  desultory,  had  often  afford- 
ed him  comfort.     He  added,  says  Mr.  Brown,  <<  that  /must 
«<  preach,"  probably  intending  his  funeral  sermon,  «  though 
'*  he  felt  himself  unworthy  to  choose  a  text ;  yet  tliat  it  must 
*<  be  from  these  words,  <  Being  justified  by  faith,  we  have 
«  peace  with  God.' " 

«  After  praying  earnestly,"  continues  Mr.  Brown,  *<  for 
"  some  time,  he  lay  quite  still,  and  then  with  great  tran- 
*<  quillity  and  satisfaction  said,  «  What  a  happy  movement ! 
"  Now  I  am  resigned  ;  now  I  desire  not  to  live.  I  am  un- 
«  worthy  of  this.'  He  then  spoke  of  his  hope,  and  said  that 
«  he  could  only  be  saved  by  grace." 

After  this  conversation,  Mr.  Buchanan  mentioned  his 
wishes  concerning  his  funeral  and  monument,  and  spoke  of 
his  departure  from  the  world  as  a  happy  deliverance  from 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  25S 

the  evils  which  he  foresaw  he  should  have  to  encounter,  if 
he  were  to  return  to  Europe.  Alluding  to  his  intended  jour- 
ney, which  his  present  illness  had  prevented,  he  said,  "  I  am 
«  now  about  to  travel  not  an  earthly  journey,  but  still  to 
<'  *  unknown  regions  of  the  Gospel.'  I  shall  now  pass  over 
"the  heads  of  old  men  labouring  usefully  for  Christ;  and  at 
<«  this  early  period  be  advanced  to  see  what  <  eye  hath  not 
"  seen,  nor  ear  heard,  nor  hath  entered  into  the  heart  of 
*<  man  to  conceive,'  and  behold  discoveries  of  the  glory  of 
*<  Christ,  '  God  manifest  in  the  flesh,'  who  hath  come  to  us, 
"  and  kindly  taken  us  by  the  hand.  He  will  lift  us  out  of 
<*  the  deep  waters,  and  set  us  at  his  own  right  hand.  I  once 
*«  saw  not  the  things  I  now  see ;  I  knew  not  the  Gospel. 
«« Now  I  pray,  that  the  little  I  have  known  may  be  perfect - 
"  ed,  and  that  God  would  complete  his  work  on  my  soul." 

Mr.  Brown  adds,  that  his  apparently  dying  friend  w^as 
almost  continually  praying  in  a  humble,  submissive,  patient, 
and  fervent  tone,  for  mercy  and  grace  through  Jesus  Christ; 
and,  with  the  Apostle,  that  God  might  be  glorified  by  his 
life  or  death. 

Such  is  the  interesting  and  instructive  memorial  which 
remains  of  this  alarming  illness  of  Mr.  Buchanan.  While 
it  demonstrates  the  excellence  and  the  solidity  of  the  prin- 
ciples which  could  thus  support  him,  it  must  surely  excite  in 
the  mind  of  every  reader  a  conviction  of  their  value,  and  an 
earnest  desire  to  possess  the  same  consolation  in  a  season  of 
similar  trial. 

Of  the  progress  of  his  recovery  nothing  is  particularly  re- 
corded. The  fever  appears  gradually  to  have  subsided  ;  and 
on  the  4th  of  September  he  was  so  far  restored  as  to  be  able 
to  remove  to  Barrackpore  for  change  of  air,  and  afterwards 
to  Sooksagur,  about  forty  miles  above  Calcutta.  The  re- 
membrance, however,  of  his  illness,  and  the  impressions 
which  an  anticipated  deathbed  had  made  upon  his  mind,  in- 
stead of  being  obliterated,  as  in  too  many  instances,  by 
returning  health,  were  ever  afterwards  cherished  and  re- 
tained. The  scene  was,  perhaps,  intended  to  prepare  him 
Jor  the  painful  trial  which  was  approaching :  and  both,  as  we 


H^ 


25^  MEMOIRS  OF 

shall  shortly  perceive,  produced  the  happy  effect  of  quick- 
ening him  in  his  Christian  course,  and  of  rendering  him 
even  more  zealous  and  unwearied  in  the  service  of  his  hea- 
venly Master. 

One  of  Mr.  Buchanan's  first  exertions  of  recovered  health 
was  in  writing  the  following  reply  to  a  pious  man,  who  ap- 
pears to  have  been  known  to  him  during  the  early  part  of 
his  residence  in  England,  and  to  have  been  employed  as  a 
humble  preacher  of  the  Gospel.  It  was  found  amongst  the 
papers  ol  the  late  Mr.  Henry  Thornton,  to  whom  it  had  pro- 
bably been  sent  by  the  person  to  whom  it  was  addressed, 
for  the  purpose  which  the  letter  itself  will  explain.  The 
Christian  kindness  and  humility  which  it  breathes  sufficient- 
ly authorize  its  insertion. 

«  Calcutta,  3d  Sept.  1805, 

'*  My  dear  Friend, 

« I  received  your  letter  by  Mr.  B —  about  five  years  ago, 
*^  and  in  consequence  took  him  into  my  house  for  some  time. 
<^The  young  man  is  in  the  army,  and  conducts  himself,  I 
*<  hear,  with  propriety.  I  am  sorry  to  find  that  my  answer 
<^  to  your  letter  on  that  occasion  has  never  reached  you. 

'*  A  few  days  ago  I  received  your  letter  of  the  4th  of  No- 
"  vember  1804  by  Mr.  Taylor,  a  missionary  to  India.  In 
'<  that  letter  you  mention  that  you  are  still  poor ;  and,  what 
«  is  better,  that  you  preach  the  Gospel  to  tlie  poor.  After 
«  so  long  an  interval,  it  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  learn 
« that  you  are  yet  found  faithful,  and  that  in  the  midst  of 
"  your  poverty  you  have  found  the  <  unsearchable  riches.' 
«  Your  heavenly  Father  knoweth  best  what  is  good  for  you  ; 
<<  and  he  hath,  no  doubt,  led  you  hitherto  in  that  narrow  and 
"  peculiar  path  which  was  suited  to  your  state,  and  necessa- 
*<  ry  for  the  advancement  of  his  glory. 

<'  I  have,  on  the  other  hand,  been  led  in  a  broader  road, 
«  and  a  more  dangerous  way.  If  I  have  been  preserved,  if 
« I  am  yet,  in  my  measure,  faithful  in  dispensing  the  Gos- 
*<  pel,  and  in  promoting  by  various  means  the  interests  ef 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  255 

*' Christ's  kingdom,  it  is  mercy;  far  more  distinguished 
<^  mercy,  as  it  appears  to  me,  than  that  which  has  been  ma- 
"  nifested  in  you.  The  Gospel  is  not  without  its  witness 
"  even  in  this  place.  The  company  of  the  faithful  is  increa- 
*^  sing,  and  the  opportunities  of  publishing  the  good  tidings 
<*  are  multiplying. 

*'  I  inclose  to  you  a  note  on  my  agents  in  London  for  fifty 
"  pounds.  I  should  send  you  more,  if  I  thought  it  would  do 
"  you  asiy  good.  If  you  should  want  more,  ask  Mr.  Henry 
<'  Thornton  for  it,  and  I  will  repay  him. 

*'  I  was  much  pleased  with  your  account  of  your  aged  fa- 
"  ther.  I  think  on  the  whole  you  have  reason  to  be  thank- 
*<  ful  that  your  family  are  so  well  disposed  of  in  the  course 
<«  of  years  and  worldly  revolution.  It  seemeth  good  to  Pro- 
^<  vidence  to  keep  you  all  in  a  strait  estate  ;  and  that  is  the 
**  general  dispensation  to  God's  favoured  people. 

<^  That  you  may  be  blessed  yourself,  and  continue  to  be  a 
"  blessing  to  others,  is  the  prayer  of, 

*f  Dear  Sir, 

«  Your  sincere  friend, 

"  C.  Buchanan." 

During  the  temporary  retreat  of  Mr.  Buchanan  at  Sook- 
sagur,  for  the  reestablishment  of  his  health,  he  was  dili- 
gently employed  in  Hebrew,  Syriac,  and  Chaldaic  studies, 
with  various  accompaniments  of  Rabbinical  and  other  com- 
mentators. In  the  midst,  however,  of  this  occupation,  he 
was  interrupted  by  the  afflicting  intelligence  of  the  death  of 
Mrs.  Buchanan.  This  distressing,  though  in  some  measure 
expected,  event  had  taken  place  on  the  18th  of  June,  on 
board  the  East  India  ship,  in  which  she  was  returning  to 
England,  off  the  Island  of  St.  Helena.  Of  Mr.  Buchanan's 
feelings  upon  this  mournful  occasion,  as  well  as  respecting 
his  own  late  illness,  the  two  following  letters  will  afford  an 
affecting  and  truly  interesting  picture.  The  first  is  to  his 
friend  Colonel  Sandvs. 


g56  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  Sooksagur,  near  Calcutta,  22d  Oct.  1805. 

«  My  dear  Sandys, 

<*  I  have  been  at  this  place  for  some  time  past,  in  the 
«  hope  of  getting  a  little  strength.  I  was  visited  by  a  fever 
«  about  two  months  ago,  and  was  despaired  of  for  a  day  or 
<*two.  But  the  prayers  of  the  righteous  were  offered  up, 
<*  and  my  days  have  been  prolonged.  It  was  with  a  kind  of 
**  reluctance  I  felt  myself  carried  back  by  the  refluent  waves 
"  to  encounter  again  the  storms  of  this  life  :  for  I  had  hoped 
"  the  fight  was  done.  Although  unprofitable  has  been  my 
<<  life,  and  feeble  my  exertions ;  yet  I  was  more  afraid  of  the 
**  trials  to  come,  if  I  should  survive,  than  of  departing  to  my 
**  rest,  if  it  was  the  will  of  God.  I  had  made  a  disposition 
*<  of  my  fortune  to  Mary,  and  her  pious  purposes ;  (for  she 
*^  too  had  undertakings  in  view  ;)  believing  that  she  would 
<<  be  much  more  useful  than  I  could.  My  first  care  on  my 
*<  convalescence  was  to  write  to  her  an  account  of  that  event. 
<^  In  a  few  days  afterwards  the  Calcutta  Indiaman  arrived 
^•'  from  St.  Helena,  and  brought  me  the  news  of  my  dear 
**  Mary's  decease  !  Before  she  went  away  I  perceived  that 
«  her  affections  were  nearly  weaned  from  this  world  ;  and 
•^  she  often  said,  that  she  thought  God  was  preparing  her  for 
*<  his  presence  in  glory.  She  was  greatly  favoured  in  lier 
*«  near  access  to  God  in  prayer;  and  she  delighted  in  retire- 
*'  ment  and  sacred  meditation.  She  was  jealous  of  herself 
*<  latterly,  when  she  anticipated  the  happiness  of  our  all 
••  meeting  in  England ;  and  endeavoured  to  chastise  the 
"  thought. 

"  Her  sufferings  were  great,  but  she  accounted  her  conso- 
« lations  greater ;  and  she  used  to  admire  the  goodness  of 
*<  God  to  her,  in  bringing  her  to  a  knowledge  of  the  truth  at 
**  so  early  an  age.  It  was  her  intention,  had  she  lived  to 
«  reach  England,  to  have  gone  down  with  her  two  little  girls 
«  to  visit  you ;  saying,  <  we  shall  behold  each  other  as  two 
«  new  creatures.'  You  had  been  accused  to  her  of  being  too 
«  peculiar,  and  she  wished  to  see  what  was  amiss. 

*<  When  she  found  her  dissolution  drawing  near,  she  so- 
"  lemnly  devoted  her  two  little  girls  to  God  x  and  prayed  that 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  257 

«  he  would  be  their  Fatlier,  and  bring  them  up  in  his  holy 
<*  fear,  and  preserve  them  I'rom  the  vanities  of  this  evil 
<*  world.  She  said  she  could  willingly  die  for  the  souls  of 
«<  her  children;  and  she  did  die,  in  the  confident  hope  of  see- 
<«  ing  them  both  in  glory. 

**  Having  had  it  in  contemplation  to  have  followed  my 
"  dear  Mary  to  England  next  year,  I  had  let  my  house  at 
"  Garden  Reach  to  Sir  John  D'Oyly.  I  had  also  sold  my 
«<  furniture,  horses,  &c.  previously  to  my  proceeding  to  Ma- 
<^  labar.  But  in  the  mean  time  I  fell  sick ;  and  now  that  I 
«  have  recovered,  I  mean  to  defer  my  journey  to  the  coast 
«  till  the  new  government  be  settled.  Sir  George  Barlow  is 
^<  at  present  up  the  country  ;  Mr.  Udny  is  Deputy  Gover- 
«  nor.  Both  of  them  are  warm  supporters  of  religious  im- 
<<  provement  in  India,  and  I  trust  they  will  do  good.  They 
«  know  nothing  of  my  "  Memoir,"  nor  any  one  else  but  Mr. 
^«  Brown. 

^«  The  B's  here  are  affectionately  concerned  in  my  reco- 
^«  very,  and  pay  me  every  attention  in  their  power.  I  do 
"  not  know  whether  I  shall  go  to  England  next  year  or  not; 
«  I  am  now  a  desolate  old  man,  though  young  in  years.  But 
«  my  path  will,  I  doubt  not,  be  made  <  clear  as  the  noon 
"  day.' 

<<  By  your  late  letters  I  see  that  you  are  <«  flourishing  like 
«  a  palm  tree.'  How  often  have  you  passed  the  palm  tree  in 
"  India,  without  comparing  it  to  the  righteous  man  ! 

*«  My  dear  Mary's  name  and  character  was  latterly  well 
''  known  among  the  excellent  of  the  earth  ;  and  her  memo- 
<«  ry  has  left  a  fragrance  for  years  to  come." 

Mr.  Buchanan  then  mentions  the  lamented  and  unexpect- 
ed death  of  the  Marquis  Cornwallis;  who  had  lately  arrived 
to  resume  the  government  of  the  country,  which  had  been 
already  so  signally  benefited  by  his  former  administration. 

*<  The  body,"  he  observes,  of  this  illustrious  nobleman, 
"  had  no  honourable  interment;  neither  a  clergyman  to  read 
«  the  office,  nor  a  coffin  to  put  it  in.  Thus  ended  his  earlh- 
«  ly  name  and  greatness.  God  promised  to  Jacob,  as  a  tem- 
'i  poral  blessing,  that  his  son  Joseph  «  should  close  his  eyes/ 

K  2 


^58  MEMOIRS  OF 

**  It  is  indeed  a  blessing  to  have  a  righteous  son  or  daughter 
^<  to  hallow  our  remains  in  death.  May  you  have  that  son, 
**  and  I  til  at  daughter  ! 

"  Yours  affectionately, 

"  C.  Buchanan/' 

The  second  of  the  two  letters  relative  to  the  death  of  Mrs. 
Buchanan  is  to  another  friend,  who  well  knew  her  worth, 
and  sincerely  sympathized  with  Mr.  Buchanan  under  his 
loss.  The  somewhat  varied  expression  of  his  feelings  upon 
this  painful  subject  will  not,  perhaps,  be  unacceptable. 

"  Sooksagur,  24th  Oct.  1805. 

*vMy  dear  Sir, 

^<  Your  letter  of  March  18th  of  this  year,  addressed  to  my 
'•  dear  Mary,  arrived  here  about  a  month  ago.  A  few  days 
♦<  afterwards  I  received  the  account  of  her  death. 

«<  You  will  rejoice  to  hear  that  when  she  was  preparing  to 
*•  leave  India,  she  considered  herself  as  preparing  for  an- 
"^  other  and  better  country  than  England. 

*<  She  enjoyed  latterly  much  communion  with  God  in 
•<  prayer  ;  and  often  when  she  came  out  of  her  closet,  the 
<*  gleam  on  her  countenance  evinced  her  peace  and  accept- 
<<  ance.  The  words  of  some  hymn  to  her  Redeemer  were 
*<  often  on  her  lips.  You  I  believe  knew  enough  of  her  to 
«  make  you  consider  this  portrait  of  her  last  days  to  be  true. 
<<  She  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-five.  She  considered  that 
"  the  period  of  her  sufferings  (only,  she  said,  three  or  four 
•<  years)  was  very  short,  and  wondered  at  the  goodness  of 
*<  God  in  so  early  calling  her  to  his  glory.  She  lamented 
*<  that  she  could  never  be  '  made  perfect  by  sufferings'  and 
i'  therefore  viewed  the  end  of  her  probation  with  great  com- 
"  fort,  and  latterly  with  joyful  anticipation.  She  expressed 
<<  and  felt  a  strong  affection  towards  you  and  your  family. 
«  In  the  last  page  of  your  letter  to  Mrs.  Buchanan,  you  re- 
<<  mind  her  of  the  promise ;  <  Be  thou  faithful  unto  death, 
<<  and  I  will  give  thee  a  crown  of  life.'  These  words  were 
^f  prophetic.    You  wrote  them  on  the  18th  of  March  5  and  on 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  259 

*•  the  18tli  of  June,  tliree  months  after,  she,  I  trust,  received 
*«  the  crown. 

"  I  have  been  at  this  place  for  sonic  weeks  past,  in  the 
<^  hope  of  acquiring  a  little  strength  after  my  late  illness. 
'<I  am  now  perfectly  well,  and  propose  to  return  to  Calcut- 
«ta  to  resume  my  public  duties  in  a  few  days. 

'*  During  the  period  of  my  retirement  I  have  been  chiefly 
"  employed  in  researches  in  the  Hebrew  and  Syriac  Scrip- 
<<  tures.  I  happily  met  with  some  valuable  Syriac  volumes 
•«  on  my  way  up  hither.  While  I  was  thus  engaged,  the 
•^  news  of  Mrs.  Buchanan's  death  arrived !  I  found  some 
•'  consolation  in  writing  a  few  lines  to  her  memory  in  the 
•<  Hebrew,  Syriac,  Greek,  and  Latin  languages ;  which  I 
*<  inscribed  on  a  leaf  of  her  own  Bible  ;  the  best  monument 
"  that  I  could  erect ;  for  her  body  was  buried  in  the  deep. 

^<  I  sometimes  think  that,  had  I  my  two  little  girls  to  pla} 
*«  with,  I  should  be  happy,  even  in  this  dreary  land.  My 
•«  chief  solace  is  in  a  mind  constantly  occupied  ;  and  this  is 
« the  greatest  temporal  blessing  I  can  expect,  even  unto  the 
<<  end.  I  could  relate  to  you  scenes  of  tribulation  and  keen 
**  persecution  in  regard  to  others  and  to  myself :  but  these 
"  could  give  you  no  pleasure,  and  I  wish  not  to  think  of 
*<  them. 

"  How  little  do  you  all  know  of  Calcutta,  or  of  what  is 
«  doing  or  has  been  done  here  ;  as  little  even  as  of  the  court 
"  of  Pekin ! 

"  Of  the  many  letters  you  wrote  to  us  during  the  two  last 
<«  years,  I  think  we  received  only  two.  My  next  to  you,  if 
*<  I  live  to  write  another,  will  probably  be  from  Taprobane, 

"I  remain, 

<^  My  dear  Sir, 

^«  Very  affectionately  yours, 
*«  C.  Buchanan." 

On  the  day  on  which  the  preceding  letter  is  dated,  Mr, 
Buchanan  addressed  the  following  to  Mr.  Grant. 


S60  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  Sooksagur,  '24tU  Oct.  1805. 

<*  Dear  Sir, 

*<  I  was  favoured  with  your  letter  by  the  last  fleet,  inelo- 
<*  sing  a  copy  of  the  prospectus  of  the  new  college.  1  was 
*<  much  pleased  with  the  perusal,  and  have  no  doubt  of  its 
<*  becoming  an  useful  institution. 

**  About  three  years  ago  I  sent  you  a  memorial  on  the  nc- 
*<  cessity  of  iiaving  some  regulations  passed  for  the  instruc- 
**  tion  of  writers  and  cadets  on  board  ship.  Tlie  ship  is 
"*  often  the  bane  of  the  young  men  who  leave  home.  After 
<*  they  are  committed  by  their  parents  to  the  care  of  the 
•'<  Company,  it  is  doubtless  the  Company's  duty  to  look  to 
**  their  morals,  and  tlie  employment  of  their  time,  on  board 
«  their  own  ships.  I  suggested  to  you  the  easy  method  by 
*«  which  this  might  be  effected. 

''Your  son's  poem  is  much  admired  here.  It  certainly 
»*  does  him  great  honour  as  a  man,  a  scholar,  and  a  poet ; 
<«  and  it  must  be  highly  gratifying  to  you  that  he  should,  at 
*'  so  early  an  age,  have  established  his  fame.  I  trust  that 
**  his  health  is  improved,  and  that  he  will  be  long  preserved 
«  to  you  and  to  his  country. 

•«  What  you  mention  of  the  prose  dissertation  is  interest- 
*»  ing.  One  of  the  Cambridge  judges  wrote  me  a  letter,  in 
•«  which  he  observes,  that  of  the  unsuccessful  dissertations, 
*'  one  was  excellent ;  but  he  did  not  mention  the  name  of 
"the  writer.  I  hope  yoti  will  publish  it.  At  all  events  it 
«  must  be  creditable  to  your  son ;  and  it  will  probably  do 
<«good,  as  it  is,  I  doubt  not,  founded  on  just  sentiments. 

« I  remain, 
'« Dear  Sir, 

i6  Very  sincerely  yours, 
"  C.  Buchanan." 

Having  derived  mucli  benefit  from  the  cliange  of  air,  and 
the  retirement  which  he  had  enjoyed  during  two  months  at 
Sooksagur,  Mr.  Buchanan  on  the  4th  of  November  returned 
to  Calcutta.  A  few  weeks  afterwards,  he  addressed  a  letter 
of  considerable  length  to  his  Grace  the  Archbishop  of  Can- 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  26 1 

terbury,  upon  the  great  and  important  subject  of  the  promo- 
tion of  Christian  knowledge  in  India,  wliich  had  of  late  so 
much  occupied  his  mind,  chiefly  with  reference  to  an  eccle- 
siastical establishment,  and  the  translation  of  the  Scriptures 
into  the  oriental  languages.  Much  of  Mr.  Buchanan's  fer- 
vid reasoning  in  his  address  to  the  Metropolitan  of  England 
proceeds  upon  the  comparative  indifference  which  then  pre- 
vailed in  this  country,  relative  to  the  religious  interests  of 
India. 

This  circumstance  being  borne  in  mind,  the  following  ex- 
tracts will  afford  another  proof  of  the  devoted,  yet  enlarged 
and  disinterested  attachment  of  the  writer  to  the  important 
work  which  he  was  pursuing.  After  noticing  the  Archbish- 
op's recent  elevation  to  the  highest  dignity  in  the  Church, 
Mr.  Buchanan  thus  proceeds. 

«  Permit  me,  my  Lord,  in  the  name  of  the  few  represcn- 
"  tatives  of  the  English  Church  in  Asia,  to  offer  to  your 
"  Grace  the  tribute  of  affectionate  congratulation,  and  to 
«  express  our  hope  that  the  glory  of  the  Messiah's  kingdom 
"  may  be  manifested  to  all  nations  of  the  earth  during  the 
*«  period  of  your  administration. 

"  Our  hope  of  evangelizing  Asia  was  once  founded  on  the 
<«  college  of  Fort  William.  But  a  rude  hand  hath  already 
<<  touched  it ;  and  unless  the  Imperial  Parliament  interpose, 
<*  it  will  soon  be  said  of  this  great  and  useful  institution, 
«  which  enlightened  a  hemisphere  of  the  globe,  <  Fuit  Ilium 
"  et  ingens  gloria.'  Its  name  however  will  remain,  for  its 
<<  record  is  in  many  languages ;  and  the  good  it  hath  done 
««  will  never  die,  for  it  hath  taught  many  the  way  to  heaven. 
«  Had  the  college  of  Fort  William  been  cherished  at  home 
<*  with  the  same  ardour  with  which  it  was  opposed,  it  might 
•<  in  the  period  of  ten  years  have  produced  translations  of  the 
"  Scriptures  into  all  the  languages  from  the  borders  of  the 
•*  Caspian  to  the  sea  of  Japan. 

"  An  idea  seems  to  have  gone  forth  in  England,  that  Lord 
«  Wellesley  founded  his  college  merely  to  instruct  the  Com- 
<*pany's  writers.  Lord  W^ellesley  founded  the  college  of 
"  Fort  William  to  enlighten  the  oriental  world ;   to  give 


g6S  MEMOIRS  OF 

<«  science,  religion,  and  pure  morals  to  Asia;  and  to  confirm 
**  in  it  the  British  power  and  dominion. 

<«....  It  is  the  opinion  of  intelligent  men  in  India,  that 
"  the  formation  of  an  extensive  ecclesiastical  estahlishment 
*<  is  a  measure  which,  during  the  present  revolutions  of  Eu- 
"  rope,  will  tend  greatly  to  confirm  our  dominion.  It  is 
<*  certain  that  nothing  would  more  alarm  the  portentous 
"  invader  of  nations,  than  our  taking  a  *  religious  possession' 
<*of  Hindostan.  Five  hundred  respectable  clergy  of  the 
<'  English  church,  established  in  our  Gentoo  cities,  would 
<'  more  perplex  his  views  of  conquest  than  an  army  of  fifty 
"thousand  British  soldiers.  The  army  of  fifty  thousand 
^*  would  melt  away  in  seven  years  ;  but  the  influence  of  an 
^<  upright  clergyman  among  the  natives  of  his  district  would 
«  be  permanent.  He  would  be  to  them  in  time  their  mouth 
"  and  mind,  and  speak  for  them  peace  or  war.  Friendly, 
"  admonitory,  social  intercourse  is  what  is  wanting  to  en- 
"  chain  the  hearts  of  the  people  of  Hindostan,  and  to  make 
"  them  our  people. 

'^  .  .  .  .  The  toleration  of  all  religions,  and  the  zealous 
"  extension  of  our  own,  is  the  way  to  rule  and  preserve  a 
"  conquered  kingdom.  It  is  certain  that  men  are  ruled  vir- 
^'  tually  by  the  Church,  though  ostensibly  by  the  State,  in 
<«  every  country.  The  seeds  of  moral  obedience  and  social 
"  order  are  all  in  the  Church. 

«  How  India  is  to  be  preserved  in  time  to  come  must  be 
"  submitted  to  the  wisdom  of  the  Imperial  Parliament.  If 
"  the  Scriptures  be  from  God,  our  nation  does  not  deserve 
<*  at  his  hand  to  retain  the  possession  of  this  '  paradise  of 
"  nations'  a  year  longer ;  so  greatly  have  we  abused  our 
j<^  sacred  trust.  We  have,  in  one  word,  «  withheld  the  reve- 
ls lation  of  God;  and  permitted  the  libation  to  Moloch  of 
^«  human  blood.'  In  the  course  of  the  two  last  months,  the 
*'  Rev.  Mr.  Brown,  the  senior  of  the  English  clergy  now  in 
^*  India,  has  witnessed  the  burning  alive  of  eight  women  at 
"  the  place  of  sacrifice,  in  the  suburbs  of  Calcutta,  as  he 
"  passed  casually  on  his  way  from  his  country-house  to  the 
^«  church  in  town.     How  can  the  minister  of  the  altar  ap- 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  ^63 

f«  proach  without  trembling  to  his  holy  oflSice,  when  he  re- 
«  fleets  on  such  scenes,  and  on  their  connexion  with  the  sin 
"  of  his  country  ! 

«  I  said  a  little  on  these  subjects  in  my  Memoir;  but  had 
<^  I  said  all  I  could  say,  I  should  have  exposed  to  severe  cen- 
"  sure  the  national  character.  I  have  since  been  visited  by 
•^  a  dangerous  illness  ;  and  when  I  considered  myself  at  the 
'*  point  of  death,  I  repented  that  I  had  not  spoken  more  loud- 
"  ly  and  more  faithfully  to  my  Christian  country. 

"  In  the  hope  of  atoning  for  a  mistaken  tenderness,  I  would 
"  now  impress  the  mind  of  your  Grace  with  a  just  sentiment 
«  of  our  present  state  in  India,  in  order  that  your  Grace 
'i  may  deliberate  on  the  means  of  promoting  the  welfare  of 
<<  the  hundred  million  of  souls  which  Providence  has  commit- 
"  ted  to  our  charge. 

<<  One  observation  I  would  make  on  the  proposed  Ecclesi- 
«astical  Establishment.  A  partial  or  half  measure  will 
«  have  no  useful  eff*ect.  A  few  additional  chaplains  can 
«  do  nothing  towards  the  attainment  of  the  great  objects  in 
*<  view. 

^<  An  Archbishop  is  wanted  for  India ;  a  sacred  and  exal- 
« ted  character,  surrounded  by  his  Bishops,  of  ample  reve- 
«  nue  and  extensive  sway ;  a  venerable  personage,  whose 
'^  name  shall  be  greater  than  that  of  the  transitory  governors 
<^of  the  land;  and  whose  fame  for  piety,  and  for  the  will  and 
<^  power  to  do  good,  may  pass  throughout  every  region. 

«  We  want  something  royal  in  a  spiritual  or  temporal 
"sense,  for  the  abject  subjects  of  this  great  eastern  empire 
«  to  look  up  to.  They  cannot  conceive  themselves  in  a  set- 
"  tied  state  without  a  Sultan  or  Maha  Rajah.  They  are  in- 
"  capable  of  freedom;  for  superstition  keeps  men  in  child- 
"hood.  And  yet  they  have  neither  King  nor  Emperor; 
<«  they  have  neither  national  temple  nor  high  priest.  They 
"  are  a  mixed  multitude,  who  have  no  common  sentiment  of 
"  truth  or  falsehood,  of  right  or  wrong.  Every  man  contra- 
"  diets  his  neighbour;  and  the  European  tells  them  they  are 
"  all  right  ! 


S64  MEMOIRS  OF 

**  Spiritual  power,  with  means  of  instruction,  is  wanting, 
•*  to  awaken  to  life  this  sluggish  and  inert  race.  Vegeta- 
<^  ting  in  ignorance  and  passive  misery,  they  want  a  sacred 
<*  guide,  who  shall  take  them  by  the  hand,  and  lift  them  up, 
"  and  look  them  in  the  face,  and  express  some  interest  in 
*<  their  happiness.  The  success  of  the  solitary  missionary 
<*  demonstrates  what  would  be  the  powerful  effect  of  the  whole 
«  Church. 

^<  1  feel  a  solicitude  that  your  Grace  should  not  consider 
"  me  as  adverting  to  subjects  unnecessary  or  unimportant 
*»  in  themselves,  or  such  as  it  is  not  becoming  in  me  to  allude 
*«  to.  My  apology  for  noticing  the  political  state  of  our  In- 
**  dian  empire  is  this.  The  existence  of  it  is  involved  in  re- 
« ligious  considerations.  The  men  whose  business  it  is  to 
«'  know  this  will  not  believe  it.  But  where  is  the  truth  to 
"  be  found,  if  not  from  those  who  are  at  the  fountain  of  infor- 
*<  mation  ;  who,  if  they  fulfil  their  sacred  character,  are  not 
"careless  'observers  of  the  signs  of  the  times;'  and  who 
"  stand,  as  it  were,  on  an  eminence,  and  behold  their  own 
"  country  and  India  distinctly  in  one  view  ?  I  would  not 
<'  without  reason  urge  this  subject  on  the  attention  of  good 
"  men  at  home.  India  is  nothing  to  me,  in  the  sense  in 
"  which  some  value  it.  I  am  about  to  leave  it.  But  truth 
^*  and  the  honour  of  the  nation  are  something.  There  is  a 
"  yet  more  solemn  sanction.  The  word  of  God  is  e^verlast- 
«*ing;  but  our  dominion  in  India  is  temporary.  That  do- 
"  minion  has  been  exercised  in  succession  by  the  other  pow 
"  crs  of  Europe.  But  Providence  did  not  intend  that  the 
"  Romish  faith  should  be  given  to  Asia.  Now  we  reign.  But 
<*  we  do  not  fulfil  the  purpose  for  whicli  the  sceptre  was  given. 
<«  Why  then  should  Providence  withhold  the  country  from  a 
'<  new  invader?  If  we  ultimately  lose  it,  let  us  acknowledge 
'<  the  justice  of  God  in  the  dispensation. 

"  It  will  be  a  satisfaction  to  your  Grace,  to  know  that  the 
<^<  translation  of  the  Scriptures  into  the  oriental  languages 
<«  still  proceeds  with  spirit,  though  many  do  not  smile  on  our 
"  labours.  A  few  individuals  have  devoted  their  slender 
*<  means  to  the  furtlierance  of  this  great  work.  But  these  pri- 


DR.  BUCHANAI^.  26d 

<•  vate  resources  will  soon  fail.  A  commencement fho^GVQv, 
<*  in  the  translations  is  of  vast  importance.  They  are  begun 
*«  <  in  faith ;'  and  we  trust  to  the  divine  Author  to  bring  to  a 
<<  happy  termination  (though  not  perhaps  in  our  time)  the 
**  versions  of  his  own  most  holy  word.  ^ 

*<  We  have  it  in  contemplation  to  bring  tlie  great  question 
<*  of  giving  the  Scriptures  to  the  heathen  before  the  public 
<*in  a  few  weeks,  and  to  move  the  subject  at  all  the  Presi- 
*«  dencies  in  India  at  the  same  time.  The  Protestant  mission 
*<  here  must  be  used  as  the  engine  to  effect  this  design, 
"  (wielded  by  the  power  of  the  college,)  seeing  we  have  no 
<<  church  of  our  own  as  a  corporate  body,  and  the  duration  of 
<*  the  college  is  uncertain.  If  the  public  voice  shall  favour 
*'  the  proposal,  an  immense  sum  will  be  subscribed,  and  the 
<^  translations  will  be  carried  on  under  happy  auspices. 

<*  Britain  will  acquire  by  these  works  a  lasting  renown 
<<  among  *  the  churches  which  are  in  Asia,'  planted  in  a  new 
"  age.  She  is  indebted  for  it  (under  the  divine  counsel) 
"  to  the  honest  purpose  of  Marquis  Wellesley  to  do  good  in 
"  India.  And  I  consider  that  the  success  which  has  hitherto 
**  attended  the  translations  of  the  Scriptures  is  a  « token  for 
"  good,'  and  the  best  <  sign'  we  have  in  present  circumstan- 
*<  ces  that  Providence  means  to  preserve  to  us  this  country. 

*<  I  have  the  honour  to  present  to  your  Grace,  for  the  ar- 
"  chiepiscopal  library  at  Lambeth  Palace,  in  the  name  of 
<<  the  college  of  Fort  William,  and  with  the  permission  of  the 
"Marquis  Wellesley,  a  valuable  copy  of  the  Mohammedan 
"  Koran  in  folio,  beautifully  ornamented  with  paintings  and 
"  oriental  enamel,  and  written  by  the  pen  of  the  Sultaun 
<<  Allavuddeen  Siljuky,  about  four  hundred  years  ago.  It 
<«  has  descended  to  these  times  in  the  line  of  emperors ;  and 
"  was  found  in  the  library  of  Tippoo  Sultan  at  Seringapa- 
<<  tarn,  after  the  reduction  of  that  capital  by  the  British 
*'  armies. 

<*By  depositing  the  most  valuable  Koran  of  Asia  in  the 
«  ancient  library  of  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  the  col- 
« lege  of  Fort  William  would  intimate,  that  the  sway  of  the 
"East,  once  usurped  by  the  Arabian  impostor,  has  now  re- 

J.  2 


^(56  •MEMOIRS  OF 

•»  verted  to  a  Christian  power;  and  would  express  the  hope, 
••  that,  in  return  for  this  volume  of  emblazoned  delusion,  the 
*'  Church  of  England  will  exhibit  to  all  nations  the  dutiful 
»*  act  so  long  expected,  and  send  forth  to  tl»e  inhabitants  of 
**  Asia  the  true  revelation  of  God." 

Tlic  reply  which  the  Archbishop  was  pleased  to  make  to 
the  preceding  letter  will  prove,  that  his  Grace  duly  appreci- 
ated the  importance  of  the  subject  of  whicji  it  treated;  nor 
can  it  be  doubted  that  the  representations  of  Mr.  Buchanan 
contributed  to  tlie  accomplishment  of  the  great  purpose  to 
whicli  his  labours  had  been  long  directed. 

Within  a  few  days  after  the  date  of  this  able  and  eloquent 
address,  a  second  attack  of  ague  and  fever  again  laid  Mr. 
Buchanan  aside  for  a  fortnight.  On  his  recovery,  he  was 
informed  by  Mr.  Udny,  tliat  Sir  George  Barlow,  now  Go- 
vernor General,  had  appointed  him  Provost  of  the  college, 
under  the  new  regulation,  which  admitted  only  of  one  super- 
intending officer.  This  honourable  distinction  afforded  Mr. 
Buchanan  an  opportunity,  which  he  immediately  embraced, 
of  manifesting  botli  his  disinterestedness  and  his  friendship 
for  his  valuable  associate  Mr.  Brown.  On  the  very  next 
day  he  intimated  to  the  government  his  wish  to  resign  the 
appointment  to  the  Provostship  in  favour  of  Mr.  Brown,  in 
consideration  not  only  of  his  long  and  meritorious  services  as 
a  chaplain  of  the  Company,  but  of  the  extent  of  his  family, 
and  the  slender  provision  which  in  consequence  of  that  cir- 
cumstance, and  of  his  liberal  and  charitable  disposition,  he 
liad  as  yet  been  able  to  make  for  their  support.  No  deci- 
sive arrangement,  however,  appears  to  have  been  made, 
until  the  arrival  of  final  orders  upon  the  subject  from  En- 
gland. 

Mr.  Buchanan  closeti  liis  ministerial  labours  this  year,  by 
a  sermon  on  Christmas  Day,  on  the  appropriate  subject  of 
the  diffusion  of  that  evangelical  light  in  India,  the  dawn  of 
which  they  were  commemorating  on  that  festival. 

The  usual  college  examinations  first  occupied  the  atten- 
tion of  Mr.  Buchanan  in  the  following  year.  At  their  close, 
towards  the  end  of  January,  in  writing  to  Mr.  Grant  re- 


DR.  BUCHANAN.     .  267 

specting  one  of  the  students  who  had  distinguished  himself 
by  his  talents  and  assiduity,  he  mentions  an  idea  whicli  iiad 
occurred  to  liim  relative  to  tlie  now  establislanent  at  Hoil- 
ford,  and  which  may  serve  to  shew  the  activity  of  his  mind 
upon  every  subject  connected  with  the  improvement  of  India. 

"I  have  encouraged  a  few  native  moonshees  to  tiiink  of 
*«  proceeding  to  England,  to  aid  the  students  of  Hertford  col- 
"  lege  in  their  pronunciation  of  the  oriental  tongues.  It  ap- 
"  pears  to  me  that  it  would  greatly  subserve  the  cause  of 
"  Christian  knowledge  in  Asia,  if  the  Company  were  to  in- 
"  vite  to  England  a  few  respectable  and  learned  natives 
"  every  year.  They  would  see  us  to  advantage  at  home ; 
^<but  they  see  us  at  a  great  disadvantage  here. 

«<  I  forgot  to  say  in  my  last  how  much  I  was  gratified  by 
*'  your  mention  of  the  Chinese  language  in  the  printed  pro- 
'^  spectus  of  the  new  college  which  you  sent  me.  That  pas- 
«•  sage  was  highly  valuable  and  important." 

It  is,  however,  to  be  regretted,  that  the  Chinese  language 
has  not  yet  been  cultivated  by  the  servants  of  the  Comjiany 
either  in  India  or  in  England,  notwithstanding  the  facilities 
afforded  by  the  Chinese  class,  the  establishment  of  which  by 
Mr.  Buchanan  has  been  already  mentioned. 

On  the  12tli  of  February,  Mr.  Buchanan  again  wrote  to 
Mr.  Grant,  on  the  return  of  some  of  liis  friends  to  England, 
and  thus  expresses  his  sentiments  on  the  political  state  of 
Europe,  respecting  which,  thougli  the  period  was  tlien  dis- 
tant to  which  he  looked  forward,  his  view  was  remarkably 
just,  as  well  as  religious. 

«*  It  is  now  nearly  six  months  since  we  had  any  ships  from 
"  England ;  and  few  private  letters  since  April  1805.  By 
"  the  overland  packet,  however,  we  learn  the  state  of  public 
«  affairs  in  Europe.  If  the  combined  nations  should  not  be 
«  able  to  make  much  impression  on  Buonaparte,  then  may 
««we  believe  that  a  remarkable  period  spoken  of  in  the  pro- 
«  phets  is  at  hand.  But  if  (as  is  most  natural  to  suppose 
<*  from  the  common  course  of  things)  he  is  to  be  shorn  of  his 
<^  power,  then  will  another  nation  (that  is,  Britain)  be  tri- 
•<  umphant  in  the  world,  and  another  great  event  spoken  of 


g(58  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  by  the  prophets  may  be  expected,  even  that  to  which  oiu' 
^<  Lord  alludes,  <  And  the  Gospel  must  first  be  published 
*^  amonj^  all  nations.'  For  what  other  people  can  begin  this 
'«  work  like  us?  It  would  require  three  centuries,  judging 
<^  by  past  history,  for  any  other  nation  to  be  so  matured  by 
*«  power  and  will  to  evangelize  the  heathen,  as  we  now  are, 
«  or  rather  as  we  shall  be  when  the  usurper  of  many  crowns 
«  shall  fall  like  Lucifer,  and  we  shall  be  delivered  from  the 
*<fear  of  that  dreaded  event,  his  expedition  to  the  East;  for 
"  with  infinitely  more  ease  than  ever  Alexander  did  may  he 
<^  march  through  eastern  countries,  if  he  could  once  get  his 
*<  army  to  the  south  of  the  Hellespont.*' 

Mr.  Buchanan's  next  letter  to  the  same  highly  esteemed 
correspondent  displays  in  a  striking  yet  unaffected  point  of 
view,  the  piety,  tenderness,  and  humility  of  his  mind,  toge- 
ther with  his  unremitting  anxiety,  amidst  infirm  and  languid 
health,  for  the  great  interests  of  religion.  The  hint  of  eccle- 
siastical preferment  to  which  he  alludes  was  very  natural. 
It  occurred  to  many  in  England  and  in  India ;  and  amongst 
others  to  his  excellent  colleague  Mr. Brown;  who,  as  he  had 
the  best  opportunities  of  knowing  his  talents  and  qualifica- 
tions, wrote  expressly  to  a  distinguished  person  connected 
with  India  in  this  country,  recommending  in  the  strongest 
terms  the  elevation  of  Mr.  Buchanan  to  the  episcopal  digni- 
ty in  the  East,  whenever  it  should  happily  be  determined  to 
make  such  an  appointment  for  our  oriental  dominions.  For 
the  present,  however,  let  us  hear  Mr.  Buchanan  himself. 

"Calcutta,  1st  March,  1806. 

"  Dear  Sir, 
"  I  was  favoured  to-day  with  your  letter  by  the  Thalia  of 
"  the  25th  of  September  last ;  and  I  am  greatly  obliged  to 
"you  for  your  notice  of  the  decease  of  Mrs.  Buchanan,  and 
**  for  the  tenderness  of  your  expressions  in  relation  to  that 
"  event.  She  was  indeed  a  model  of  humility ;  so  framed  by 
•*  a  spiritual  power,  and  richly  adorned  by  the  grace  of  God. 
<<  I  was  not  worthy  of  her ;  but  she  has  left  two  little  daugh- 


DR.  BUCHANAN. 


i5i«9 


« ters  to  read  lier  history,  who  I  trust  will  be  chosen  to  fol- 
*«  low  her  high  example. 

"  The  subject  in  your  letter,  which  you  will  wish  me  to 
*^  notice,  is  that  of  my  return  to  England.  You  desire  I 
•'^  would  stay  beyond  this  year.  I  would  with  pleasure,  if  I 
*<  thought  it  would  be  attended  with  good.  But  I  must  in- 
•<  form  you,  that  since  my  late  illness  I  am  become  infirm 
•'*  in  body  and  mind  ;  and  I  am  scarcely  fit  for  those  public 
^«  duties  in  this  place,  whicli  require  the  heart  of  a  lion,  and 
•*  a  countenance  of  brass.  I  trust  my  excursion  to  the  Dec- 
*^  can,  which  I  meditate  next  month,  will  be  beneficial  to 
"  me.  The  circumstance  I  communicate  to  you  is  not  as 
<«  yet,  perhaps,  very  evident  from  my  appearance,  but  it  is 
<*  so  in  fact. 

^'  The  good  to  be  expected  now  will  flow  from  other  sour- 
"  ces  than  Calcutta;  so  I  am  less  anxious  about  maintaining 
«  this  strong  post  any  longer.  But  if  Providence  think  fit, 
**  I  will ;  or  rather  I  shall. 

"  As  to  returning  in  order  to  receive  episcopal  dignity, 
«  my  soul  sinks  at  the  thought  of  it.  I  trust  my  lines  will 
^»  rather  be  cast  in  a  curacy. 

<♦  Place  the  mitre  on  any  head.  Never  fear;  it  will  do 
"  good  among  the  Hindoos.  A  spiritual  bishop  will  appear 
"  in  due  time. 

«  My  thoughts  pass  not  beyond  next  month,  or  that  fol- 
"  lowing.  But  I  say  thus  much,  that  if  I  return  this  year, 
'« you  may  hope  that  it  has  been  rightly  ordered. 

"  I  am  sorry  you  should  trouble  yourself  in  noticing  my 
"  difference  of  opinion  with  you  on  some  points.  I  do  not 
"  know  that  there  is  a  right  and  a  wrong  in  them.  They 
<*  are  varying  shades  of  a  picture  we  both  love.  If  any 
^^  thing  I  have  ever  said  or  done  give  you  uneasiness,  I  pray 
'« you  to  pardon  me.  I  have  no  opinion  on  any  thing,  at 
'<  least  I  desire  not  to  maintain  any,  but  what  concerns  the 
"  Gospel  of  Christ.  Had  I  been  brought  up  in  your  school, 
^^  and  sat  in  your  chair,  I  should  probably  think  as  you  do. 
««  But  we  are  both  scholars  in  the  school  of  Christ,  wliere  all 
••  are  taught  ^  the  same  words.'    And  we  shall  wonder  here- 


-jyO  MEMOIRS  OF 

•«  after,  (if  it  be  given  us  to  look  on  from  above,)  that  our 
*'  right  and  wrong,  our  truth  and  error  in  India  and  Eng- 
<*  land,  should  be  overruled  to  harmonize  for  the  glory  of 
*«  God. 

"  I  preach  to-morrow  a  discourse  before  the  government; 
«  <  And  the  Gospel  must  first  be  preached  among  all  nations.' 
«  Mark  xiii.  10.  My  last  effort,  I  suppose,  on  these  sub- 
ejects.  On  Monday,  the  next  day,  the  Governor  General 
«  delivers  his  annual  speech  before  the  college  ;  for  which  I 
"  have  furnished  him,  at  his  desire,  with  some  notes.  Much 
<<  depends,  very  much,  which  I  have  not  time  now  to  ex- 
"  plain  to  you,  on  the  complexion  of  his  discourse.  And 
*<  many  are  waiting  with  solicitude  the  result ;  many  on 
»<  both  sides. 

«  If  he  admit  the  word  <  civilization'  into  his  speech  this 
<i  year,  you  may  expect  to  hear  the  word  *  religion'  next 
<^  year.     For  thus  by  slow  degrees  we  must  proceed. 

<*If  I  were  nearer  to  you,  communication  in  present  cir- 
"  cumstances  would  be  useful.   As  it  is,  little  can  be  done. 

"  May  your  sun  continue  long  to  give  its  light  in  your 
« present  sphere.  Your  work  that  remains,  may  it  be 
<«  wrought  in  humility  of  soul,  that  heavenly  frame  !  and 
«  your  decease,  like  that  of  Jacob,  may  it  be  attended  with 
«  blessings ;  blessing  your  own  family,  and  embalming  your 
"  memory  among  the  righteous  that  remain. 
"  I  am,  dear  Sir, 

it  Yery  sincerely  yours, 

"  C.  Buchanan." 

«  P.  S.  I  read  sometimes  with  tears  (which  flow  more 
•<  commonly  than  usual)  the  two  last  pages  of  your  son's 
•<  Poem. 

"  I  hope  the  Prose  composition  of  the  other  will  be  pnb- 
"  lishcd.  With  the  helps  of  the  two  last  years  he  may  en- 
« large  and  improve  it;  and  I  shall  be  obliged  to  him  if  he 
'•  will  permit  it  to  be  published  at  my  expense." 

The  annual  disputations  in  tlie  oriental  languages,  to 
which  Mr.  Buchanan  refers  in  the  preceding  letter,  were 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  371 

held  on  the  3(1  of  March ;  on  which  occasion  Sir  George- 
Barlow,  the  new  Governor  General,  presided  as  Visitor*. 
In  the  speech  with  which  his  Excellency  closed  the  proceed- 
ings, after  paying  a  tribute  of  merited  respect  to  the  great 
and  venerable  Nobleman  of  whom  they  had  been  so  lately  de- 
prived, and  of  applause  to  the  illustrious  Founder  of  the  col- 
lege, he  alluded  to  the  conviction  which  he  had  expressed 
at  a  very  early  period  of  the  beneficial  consequences  of  its 
establishment;  and  added,  that  the  correctness  of  that  judg- 
ment had  been  confirmed  by  the  experience  of  every  suc- 
cessive year.  Those  branches  of  the  projected  education, 
he  observed,  which  they  had  the  means  of  prosecuting,  had 
been  cultivated  beyond  the  limits  of  their  most  sanguine  ex- 
pectations. The  Governor  General  proceeded  to  declare, 
that  those  students  of  the  college  who  had  been  distinguish- 
ed for  their  proficiency  in  its  prescribed  studies,  and  had 
been  employed  in  public  situations,  more  particularly  in  the 
diplomatic  service,  had  maintained  the  credit,  and  demon- 
strated the  advantages  of  the  institution,  by  the  distinguish- 
ed merit  of  their  general  conduct,  and  by  their  peculiar  abi- 
lity, industry,  and  judgment  in  the  execution  of  the  impor- 
tant duties  committed  to  their  charge.  Sir  George  Barlow 
next  referred  to  the  new  establishment  at  Hertford. 

"  An  opinion  has,  I  understand,  prevailed,  that  the  ori- 
<^  ental  seminary  established  in  England  under  the  authori- 
*<  ty  of  the  Honourable  the  Court  of  Directors,  is  calculated 
"  ultimately  to  supersede  the  existing  institution  of  the  col 
<«  lege  of  Fort  William. 

"  I  deem  it  proper  therefore  to  take  this  opportunity  of 
"  stating,  that  the  oriental  seminary  founded  in  England  is 
*<  not  intended  to  supersede  the  college  of  Fort  William  ; 
"  and  it  is  my  deliberate  opinion,  that  the  system  of  orien- 
*<  tal  study  projected  in  England  will  tend  to  support  the 
"  efficiency  of  this  institution,  and  to  accelerate  its  opera- 
<•  tion,  by  affording  to  the  youth  who  are  destined  for  this 
•<  country  the  advantages  of  an  earlier  proficiency  in  those 

*  Calcutta  Gazette  Extraordinary,  March  8,  180C, 


S7^ 


MEMOIRS  OF 


"  branches  of  knowledge,  which  are  considered  to  be  pecu- 
<*  liarly  adapted  to  the  nature  of  their  future  duties,  and  of 
«<  an  early  acquisition  of  the  rudiments  of  the  oriental  Ian- 
*<  guages." 

After  complimenting  the  professors  and  officers  of  the  col- 
lege on  their  persevering  and  zealous  activity  in  the  dis- 
charge of  their  various  duties,  the  Governor  General  con- 
cluded a  long  and  able  speech  by  thus  expressing,  as  Mr. 
Buchanan  had  hoped,  his  conviction  of  the  benefits  which 
might  justly  be  expected  to  be  derived,  both  by  the  natives 
of  India  and  by  the  British  government,  from  the  literary 
branch  of  the  college  of  Fort  William. 

'<  The  numerous  works  which  have  been  published  under 
<<  the  auspices  of  the  college  in  the  course  of  the  last  six 
"  years,  will  not  only  open  to  the  learned  in  Europe  ample 
<*  sources  of  information  on  all  subjects  of  oriental  history 
<*  and  science,  but  will  afford  to  the  various  nations  and 
<<  tribes  of  India,  and  especially  to  those  which  compose  tlie 
"  body  of  our  Indian  subjects,  a  more  favourable  view,  and 
"  a  more  just  and  accurate  conception  of  the  British  charac- 
"  ter,  principles,  and  laws,  than  they  have  hitherto  been 
«  enabled  to  form ;  and  may  be  expected  gradually  to  diffuse 
'»  among  them  a  spirit  of  civilization,  and  an  improved  sense 
"  of  those  genuine  principles  of  morality  and  virtue,  which 
««  are  equally  calculated  to  promote  their  happiness,  and  to 
«<  contribute  to  the  stability  of  the  British  dominion  in 
«  India." 

The  disapprobation,  with  which  the  extensive  nature  of 
the  college  of  Fort  William  had  been  viewed  by  the  Court  of 
Directors,  had  long  prepared  its  superintendants  to  expect 
a  reduction  of  its  establisljment.  Anticipating,  therefore, 
the  suspension  of  that  department  in  it  which  had  hitherto 
been  instrumental  in  promoting  translations  of  the  Scrip- 
tures into  the  oriental  languages,  they  were  anxious  to  make 
some  provision  for  the  continuation  of  these  important  works. 
With  this  view  they  resolved  to  encourage  individuals  to 
proceed  with  versions  of  the  Scriptures,  by  such  means  as 
they  could  command  ',  purposing,  at  the  same  time,  not  to 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  273 

coiifiiie  this  encouragement  to  Bengal,  but  to  extend  it  to 
every  part  of  the  East,  where  fit  instruments  could  be  found. 
Mr.  Buchanan  particularly  determined  to  devote  his  influ- 
ence  as  Vice-Provost  of  the  college,  in   aid  of  the  transla- 
tions then  in  the  hands  of  the  missionaries  at  Serampore, 
and  to  endeavour  to  excite  the  public  interest  in  their  fa- 
vour.    For  this  purpose,  early  in  the  year  1806,  he  drew  up 
*«  Proposals  for  a  Subscription  for  translating  the  holy  Scrip- 
"  tures"  into  fifteen  oriental  languages ;  containing  a  pro- 
spectus of  Indian  versions,  and  observations  on  tlie  practica- 
bility of  tlie  general  design.    To  these  proposals,  thus  com- 
posed by  Mr,  Buchanan  from  materials  partly  furnished  by 
the  missionaries,  their  names  were  subscribed ;  and  in  the 
month  of  March,  copies  were  distributed  liberally  in  India 
and  in  England  ;  in  this  country  to  the  Court  of  Directors, 
to  the  Bench  of  Bishops,  to  the  Universities,  to  Lord  Teign- 
mouth,  as  President  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Socie- 
ty, and  to  some  other  public  bodies,  as  well  as  to  many  pri- 
vate gentlemen.    In  India,  copies  were  transmitted  to  near- 
ly the  whole  of  the  principal  civil,  and  to  many  of  the  mili- 
tary officers,  in  the  Company's  service,  from  Delhi  to  Tra- 
vancore ;  to  many  of  whom  the  mission  at  Serampore  was 
previously  unknown.     Mr.  Buchanan  obtained  permission, 
at  the  same  time,  to  send  the  proposals,  in  his  official  charac- 
ter as  Vice-Provost  of  the  college,  free  of  expense,  to  all 
parts  of  the  empire ;  and  he  accompanied  them  in  most  in- 
stances with  letters,  which  amounted  to  about  one  hundred* 
from  himself. 

In  two  of  those  letters  to  friends  in  England,  Mr.  Buchan- 
an informed  tliem  it  had  been  at  first  intended  that  they 
should  issue  from  the  college,  under  the  sanction  of  Govern- 
ment. It  appears,  that  he  communicated  the  manuscript  to 
the  Governor  General ;  but,  although  he  was  personally  dis- 
posed to  favour  the  undertakins;,  he  declined  authorizing  a 
measure  which  might  appear  to  identify  the  Government  too 
closely  and  prominently  with  an  extensive  plan  for  promo- 
ting Christian  knowledge  amongst  our  native  subjects. 
Whatever  may  he  conceded,  as  to  the  cautious  policy  of  this 

M  2 


^74  MEMOIRS  OF 

coiuluct,  it  cannot  but  be  regretted,  tbat  the  noble  and  ex- 
tensive work  thus  projected  could  not  liave  been  placed  un- 
der the  immediate  superintendance  and  control  of  the  col- 
lege of  Fort  William  ;  possessing  as  it  did,  in  the  assem- 
blage of  oriental  scholars  collected  around  it,  such  superior 
facilities  for  their  execution,  connected  .as  it  was  with  the 
Church  of  England,  and  consequently  affording  a  pledge, 
both  as  to  soundness  of  principle  and  unity  of  design,  which 
could  be  expected  from  no  other  quarter. 

It  was,  however,  plainly  implied  in  the  Proposals,  that 
the  undertaking  would  enjoy  the  countenance  and  support  of 
the  college  ;  and  it  was  doubtless  on  this  ground  that  the 
concurrence  of  the  public  was  principally  obtained.  That 
expectation  was  accordingly  expressed  in  the  following 
terms. 

"  Our  hope  of  success  in  this  great  undertaking  depends 
•«  chiefly  on  the  patronage  of  the  college  of  Fort  William.  To 
•<  that  institution  we  are  much  indebted  for  the  progress  we 
'•  have  already  made.  Oriental  translation  has  become 
*^  comparatively  easy,  in  consequence  of  our  having  the  aid 
**  of  those  learned  men  from  distant  provinces  in  Asia,  who 
•«  have  assembled,  during  the  period  of  the  last  six  years,  at 
<«  that  great  emporium  of  eastern  letters.  These  intelligent 
*«  strangers  voluntarily  engage  with  us  in  translating  the 
•<  Scriptures  into  their  respective  languages ;  and  they  do 
•*  iTt)t  conceal  their  admiration  of  the  sublime  doctrine,  pure 
<•  precejjt,  and  divijie  eloquence  of  the  word  of  God.  The 
••  plan  of  these  translations  was  sanctioned  at  an  early  pe- 
**  riod  by  the  Most  Noble  the  Marquis  Wellesley,  the  great 
*«  patron  of  useful  learning.  To  give  the  Christian  Scrip- 
**  tures  to  the  inhabitants  of  Asia  is  indeed  a  work  which 
"  every  man,  who  believes  these  Scriptures  to  be  from  God, 
"  will  approve.  In  Hindostan  alone  there  is  a  great  variety 
*«  of  religions;  and  there  are  some  tribes  which  have  no  cer~ 
"  tain  cast  or  religion  at  all.  To  render  the  revealed  reli- 
*«  gion  accessible  to  men  who  <  desire'  it :  to  open  its  eter- 
*<  nal  sanctions,  and  display  its  pure  morals  to  those  who 
"  «  seek  a  religion,'  is  to  fulfil  the  sacred  duty  of  a  Christian 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  ^75 

'*  people,  and  accords  well  with  the  humane  and  generous 
«*  spirit  of  the  English  nation." 

Another  passage  of  the  document,  from  which  tiie  prece- 
ding extract  is  taken,  announced  in  India  the  formation  and 
the  proffered  friendship  of  the  Brilisli  and  Foreign  Bihie  So- 
ciety, as  furnishing  material  encouragement  to  the  proposed 
undertaking.  Thus  accredited  and  patronized,  the  Address 
from  tlie  missionaries  at  Serampore  was  advertised  in  tiie 
Government  gazettes,  and  published  throughout  India  ;  and 
such  was  the  approbation  with  which  it  was  received,  titai 
in  a  short  time  the  sum  of  sixteen  hundred  pounds  was  sub- 
scribed in  aid  of  the  intended  translations. 

The  communication  of  the  proposals  in  question  to  the 
Britisli  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  was  made  by  Mr.  Bu- 
chanan in  the  month  of  March.  He  at  the  same  time  re- 
commended, that  a  sermon  sliould  be  preached  before  tlie 
Society,  '<  on  the  subject  of  oriental  translations;"  and  with 
the  zeal  and  liberality  which  had  now  so  frequently  maiked 
all  his  proceedings,  requested,  *<  that  the  Reverend  Preach- 
"  er  would  do  him  the  honour  to  accejjt  the  sum  of  fifty 
**  pounds  on  delivery  of  a  printed  copy  of  the  sermon  to  his 
"  agents  in  London,  for  the  College  of  Fort  William  in  Ben- 
<*  gal."  This  proposition  was  at  first  acceded  to  by  tlie 
Committee  of  the  Society  ;  and  the  Rev.  John  Owen,  one  of 
its  able  and  indefatigable  Secretaries,  was  requested  to  be- 
come  the  preacher*.  It  was,  however,  upon  reconsidera- 
tion, unanimously  agreed,  that,  as  the  measure  did  not  fall 
strictly  within  the  professed  object  of  the  Society,  and  might 
open  a  door  to  practical  irregularities,  it  would  not  be  expe- 
dient to  sanction  its  adoption.  TljA  generous  offer  of  Mr. 
Buchanan  was,  in  consequence  of  this  decision,  respectfully 
declined. 

A  similar  proposal  was  transmitted  by  Mr.  Buchanan  to 
the  Vice-Chancellors  of  the  Universities  of  Oxford  and  Cam- 
bridge, that  two  sermons  should  be  preached  before  each  of 
those  learned  bodies,  on  the  translation  of  the  Scriptures  into 
the  oriental  languages,  by  such  persons  as  the  Universities 

a  History  of  the  Bntish  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  vol.  i    p    '28 J 


276  MEMOIRS  OF 

should  appoint ;  accompanied  by  a  request,  tliat  each  of  the 
four  preachers  would  accept  the  sum  of  thirty  guineas,  on 
the  similar  condition  of  the  delivery  to  bis  agents  of  a  print- 
ed copy  of  the  sermon  for  the  college  of  Fort  William. 
These  additional  offers  to  the  Universities  were  in  each 
case  accepted. 

In  the  course  of  the  preceding  year,  Mr.  Buchanan  recei- 
ved from  the  University  of  Glasgow,  of  which  he  had  been 
formerly  a  member,  a  diploma  conferring  upon  him  the  de- 
gree of  Doctor  in  Divinity.  By  this  title,  confirmed  as  it 
afterwards  was  by  a  similar  honour  from  the  University  to 
which  he  more  immediately  belonged,  he  will  accordingly 
be  designated  in  the  continuation  of  these  Memoirs. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  ^fj 


CHAPTER  V. 

DR.  BUCHANAN  was  now  again  looking  forward  to 
his  long  projected  journey  to  the  south  of  the  Peninsula.  On 
the  12th  of  March  1806,  he  thus  wrote  to  a  friend  in  En- 
gland. 

"  I  proceed  to  Malabar  in  a  few  weeks.  My  delay  has 
*«  been  chiefly  occasioned  by  the  difficulty  of  my  resigning 
*«  appointments  and  offices  here,  where  there  is  no  one  to 
<*  receive  them.  And  even  now,  if  I  get  off  fairly  I  shall 
**  wonder. 

"  I  still  continue  in  my  purpose  of  going  home  about  the 
<^  end  of  this  year.  So  that  I  shall  possibly  see  you  and  your 
"  family  once  more." 

On  the  22d  of  March,  Dr.  Buchanan  obtained  leave  of 
absence  from  the  government  for  six  months,  together  with 
renewed  assurances  of  the  countenance  and  assistance  for- 
merly promised ;  but  his  preparations  for  his  journey  were 
again  interrupted  by  a  return  of  ague  and  fever.  This  at- 
tack w^as,  however,  less  serious,  and  of  shorter  duration  than 
the  former;  so  that  at  the  end  of  the  month  he  Avas  able  to 
wait  upon  the  Governor  General,  who  kindly  offered  to  ac- 
commodate him  with  one  of  his  tents  for  his  intended  jour- 
ney to  the  coast.  During  the  month  of  April,  Dr.  Buchanan 
continued  his  preparations  for  his  approaching  absence ; 
attended  an  examination  of  the  Chinese  class  at  Serampore, 
and  made  arrangements  for  the  performance  of  his  clerical 
duties.  His  last  sermon  previously  to  his  departure  was 
from  the  beautiful  address  in  the  Revelation  of  St.  John 
(Chap.  iii.  7—13.)  to  the  Church  at  Philadelphia;  which  he 
probably  considered  as  in  some  respects  appropriate  to  that 
at  Calcutta.  Dr.  Buchanan  spent  several  of  the  days  im- 
mediately preceding  his  journey  with  Mr.  Udny,  who  ap- 
pears to  have  entered  with  much  interest  into  his  views  for 
the  promotion  of  Christianity  in  India.  The  late  learned 
and  lamented  Dr.  Leyden  had  at  one  time  proposed  to  ac- 


278  MEMOIRS  OF 

company  Dr.  Buchanan  in  his  tour ;  but  this  plan,  though  it 
would  doubtless  have  proved  mutually  agreeable  and  beneft- 
cial,  was  finally  abandoned. 

The  design  of  this  extensive  and  laborious  journey  cannot 
be  better  explained  than  in  the  following  quotation  from 
the  account  which  Dr.  Buchanan  afterwards  published  of  his 
Researches. 

"a  In  order  to  obtain  a  distinct  view  of  the  state  of  Christ- 
<*  ianity  and  of  superstition  in  Asia,  the  superintendants  of 
<<  the  college  had,  before  this  period,  entered  into  correspon- 
«^  dence  with  intelligent  persons  in  different  countries  ;  and 
«« from  every  quarter  (even  from  the  confines  of  China)  they 
<*  received  encouragement  to  proceed.  But,  as  contradic- 
«<  tory  accounts  were  given  by  different  writers  concerning 
<«  the  real  state  of  the  numerous  tribes  in  India,  both  of 
"  Christians  and  natives,  the  Author  conceived  the  design 
^«  of  devoting  the  last  year  or  two  of  his  residence  in  the 
*<  East  to  purposes  of  local  examination  and  inquiry. 

^^  The  principal  objects  of  this  tour  were  to  investigate 
*'  the  state  of  superstition  at  the  most  celebrated  temples  of 
"the  Hindoos;  to  examine  the  churches  and  libraries  of  the 
<<  Romish,  Syrian,  and  Protestant  Christians ;  to  ascertain 
<«  the  present  state  and  recent  history  of  the  eastern  Jews ; 
<<  and  to  discover  what  persons  might  be  fit  instruments  for 
"  the  promotion  of  learning  in  their  respective  countries, 
"  and  for  maintaining  a  future  correspondence  on  the  subject 
*<  of  disseminating  the  Scriptures  in  India." 

Such  were  the  important  views  with  which  Dr.  Buchanan 
entered  upon  his  intended  journey.  It  is  no  disparagement 
to  travels  undertaken  from  motives  either  of  personal  curi- 
osity, or  of  public  utility,  to  assert,  that  the  tour,  which 
Dr.  Buchanan  was  meditating,  derived  from  its  disinter- 
ested and  sacred  objects  a  peculiar  degree  of  dignity  and 
value.  If  our  great  philanthropist  Howard  was  justly  eulo- 
gized by  a  late  celebrated  statesman,  for  his  indefatigable 
and  selfdenying   exertions   in  **  travelling   over   land  and 

a  Christian  Researches,  Introduct.  p.  10.  PUW.  Ed. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  ^79 

"sea,"  not  to  gratify  his  taste,  or  to  extend  his  fame,  but 
*«  to  remember  the  forgotten,  to  attend  the  neglected,  and  to 
<<  visit  the  forsaken,"  it  is  not  too  much  to  say,  that  although 
the  labours  of  that  eminent  person  were  more  various  and 
continued,  it  required  in  a  man  of  infirm  and  precarious 
health,  like  Dr.  Buchanan,  a  degree  of  zeal  and  resolution  to 
enter  upon  his  projected  journey,  which  reflects  upon  him 
the  highest  honour.  And  although  in  each  case,  the  love  of 
God  and  of  man  was  the  prevailing  motive,  the  object  of  the 
one  was,  in  proportion  to  its  extent,  as  much  more  important 
than  the  other,  as  inquiries  into  spiritual  wants  with  a  view 
to  their  relief  are  more  weighty  than  those  which  concern 
temporal  necessities,  and  as  interests  of  eternal  duration  are 
more  momentous  than  any  which  are  bounded  by  the  nar- 
row limits  of  time.  It  must  be  remembered  too,  that  with 
the  exception  of  the  accommodations  afforded  him  by  the 
kindness  of  the  Governor  General,  and  the  hospitality  of  the 
British  residing  at  the  different  stations  through  which  he 
passed.  Dr.  Buchanan's  extensive  tour  was  undertaken  ex- 
clusively at  his  own  expense. 

On  the  third  of  May,  Dr.  Buchanan  left  Calcutta  on  his 
way  to  the  south ;  and  on  his  arrival  the  same  day  at  Fulta, 
forty  miles  below  that  city,  he  wrote  to  Colonel  Sandys  as 
follows. 

*«  My  dear  Sandys, 

•<  I  am  thus  far  on  my  journey  to  Malabar.  I  propose  to 
«  visit  Juggernaut  first,  and  hope  to  be  there  early  in  June, 
«« when  the  grand  festival  of  the  Rutt  Jattra  takes  place. 
<*  Sir  George  Barlow  has  been  so  good  as  to  lend  me  some 
"of  the  Governor  General's  small  tents,  so  that  I  shall 
"  travel  very  comfortably.  My  inquiries,  you  know,  have 
«  a  threefold  aspect,  Hindoos,  Jews,  and  Christians.  The 
"  bands  of  infidelity  and  superstition  are  loosening  fast ; 
"  and  Calcutta  is  by  no  means  the  place  it  was  when  you 
<*  were  here. 

<'  I  have  heard  this  morning  that  the  fleet  from  England, 
*<  which  went  to  the  Cape,  is  expected  at  Madras  every  day, 


^so  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  as  one  of  the  ships  is  already  arrived.  In  this  fleet  your 
**  friend  Mr.  Marty  n  is  passenger.  Mr.  Jeffries  has  been 
<<  appointed  to  act  as  my  substitute  in  the  new  church  in 
*<  my  absence  ;  which  will  be  about  six  or  eight  months  ;  if 
*<  indeed  I  should  ever  return  ;  for  my  route  is  full  of  dan- 
*<  ger  and  difficulty  to  one  infirm  as  I  am.  With  some  view 
« I  trust  to  the  glory  of  God  1  have  purposed  ;  but  it  is  He 
"  who  must  dispose  of  me  and  my  objects  as  shall  seem  to 
<«  Him  best. 

^^I  remain, 

"  My  dear  Sandys, 

a  Very  affectionately  yours, 

«  C.  Buchanan." 

Dr.  Buchanan,  from  the  time  of  his  arrival  at  Juggernaut, 
kept  a  regular  journal  of  his  tour,  parts  of  which  it  is  well 
known,  he  afterwards  published  on  his  return  to  this  country. 
He  maintained  also  a  constant  correspondence  during  his 
journey  with  the  Rev.  D.  Brown ;  and  from  these  letters  a 
series  of  extracts  shall  now  be  given,  which,  avoiding,  for 
the  most  part,  the  repetition  of  what  Dr.  Buchanan  himself 
communicated  to  the  public,  will  afford  a  connected  view  of 
his  whole  tour,  and  contain  some  additional  information,  as 
well  as  some  instructive  and  interesting  reflections  on  the 
various  scenes  through  which  he  passed  in  this  original  and 
cnterprizing  journey.  A  few  letters  which  Dr.  Buchanan 
wrote  to  his  friends  in  Europe  in  the  course  of  his  tour  will 
also  be  inserted  in  their  order. 

The  first  letter  to  Mr.  Brown,  dated  the  10th  of  May, 
from  Fulta,  informs  him,  that  Dr.  Buchanan  continued  m 
good  health,  and  that  his  servants  and  travelling  equipage 
were  all  well  appointed.  On  the  13th  he  thus  wrote  from 
Contai. 

*<  I  arrived  here  the  day  before  yesterday  in  good  health 
*<  and  fine  sj)irits.  My  tents  were  first  hoisted  on  the  backs 
«  of  elephants,  belonging  to  a  Hindoo  Rajah,  in  my  journey 
**  to  the  south.  I  ought  always  to  speak  well  of  the  Hindoo 
•*  people. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  281 

<*  Mr.  Mason's  kindness  and  attention  are  very  remark- 
*«  able ;  and  I  am  in  danger  of  being  detained  in  my  way, 
«  like  Abraham's  servant,  by  hospitality,  before  the  busi- 
*«  ness  be  done.  But  I  see  there  is  much  to  be  done  by  the 
"  way  which  I  thought  not  of. 

«*  I  shall  leave  this  place  to-morrow,  perhaps,  or  next  day, 
*<  and  hope  to  arrive  at  Balasore  on  the  20th,  where  I  pro- 
**  pose  to  stay  two  days,  and  then  proceed  with  the  pilgrims 
"  (who  now  cover  the  roads)  to  Juggernaut. 

"  I  am  in  haste  to  pass  over  the  marshy  lands  of  the  salt 
«  districts,  lest  fever  should  come.  If  it  should  come  here, 
«  or  before  I  arrive  at  my  journey's  end,  and  you  should  not 
<<  see  me  again,  I  pray  you  to  consider  it  as  the  hand  of  God, 
"  giving  glory  to  his  own  cause  in  his  own  way,  leading 
^<  our  feeble  resolves  in  triumph  to  a  certain  stage,  and  then 
"  calling  another  servant.  I  leave  all  my  temporal  aflfairs 
<«  in  perfect  order.  I  have  no  papers  literary  or  religious  ; 
*«  so  that  no  trouble  awaits  my  executors,  except  those  in 
«<  England,  to  whom  I  have  consigned  the  religious  educa- 
"  tion  of  my  two  little  girls." 

The  concluding  observations  of  this  letter  point  out  in  a 
simple  yet  solemn  manner  the  entire  resignation  of  its  author 
to  the  Divine  will,  and  evidently  imply  his  preparation  for 
every  event  of  his  journey.  The  spirit  of  calm  yet  devoted 
piety  which  they  breathe,  is  at  once  to  be  admired  and 
imitated. 

In  a  letter  on  the  17th  from  Jellasore,  where  he  waited 
for  his  elephant  and  horse,  the  following  passage  occurs. 

"  At  Mohunpore,  between  Contai  and  this  place,  I  stopped 
«  a  night.  Juggernaut  is  to  be  found  there  in  miniature  ; 
"  having  the  same  name  and  service.  The  Hindoo  Zemin- 
"  dar  gave  me  a  feast,  and  presented  me  with  a  sword,  a 
♦<  piece  of  fine  cloth,  and  ten  rupees  at  parting.  W  hen 
'^  I  began  to  eat,  Juggernaut's  bells  began  to  ring.  I  ask- 
"  ed  the  reason,  and  was  told  that  Juggernaut  had  begun 
*«  his  supper.  So  we  ate  together  for  near  half  an  hour, 
•'<  during  which  time  the  gongs  and  bells  continued  a  Iiorrid 
*f  clango}'. 

?f  2 


2S2  MEMOIRS  OF 

"This  temple  is  falling  into  decay  for  want  of  revenue." 

On  the  25th  and  27th,  Mr.  Buchanan  thus  describes  from 
Balasore  his  mode  of  travelling,  and  the  conjectures  of  the  na- 
tives concerning  the  object  of  his  journey. 

•*  The  commanding  officer  here  has  given  me  a  guard  of 
»<  seven  seapoys  all  the  way  to  Cuttack,  which  is  seven  days' 
«  march.  I  passed  through  a  jungle  where  tigers  abound. 
**  One  sprung  on  a  large  bullock  last  week,  but  he  could  not 
**  carry  him  off,  and  the  bullock  escaped.  The  tiger  hunt- 
"  ers  shewed  me  their  manner  of  shooting  tigers  with  ar- 
<^  rows. 

"  I  leave  this  place  to-morrow ;  and  on  the  4th  of  June  I 
**  expect  to  be  at  Cuttack.  Juggernaut  is  only  three  or  four 
<*  days  from  Cuttack. 

^<  I  find  it  inconvenient  to  have  many  followers.  I  have 
"  therefore  discharged  some  servants  from  this  place,  and 
"  also  a  supernumerary  tent.  I  have  but  few  wants  on  a 
"  march  as  to  eating  and  drinking ;  and  I  cannot  be  troubled 
"  with  tablecloths.  I  enjoy  refreshing  tea  after  my  ride  in 
"  the  morning;  for  I  generally  ride  one  half  of  the  march 
'^  on  horseback,  and  sometimes  on  an  elephant.  I  some- 
*<  times  use  my  gun,  at  which  I  was  formerly  as  expert  as 
«^  any  of  the  writers.     But  I  feel  a  repugnance  in  killing 

"  harmless  animals  which  I  did  not  feel  formerly.  Tell  H 

"  that  during  the  two  last  days'  march,  I  saw  beautiful  pea- 
'«  cocks  sitting  on  the  lofty  trees  by  the  road  side,  and  mon- 
"  kies  leaping  from  branch  to  branch,  holding  their  young 
"  ones  in  their  arms. 

"  You  may  direct  to  me  to  the  care  of  the  postmaster  at 
"  Cuttack  until  further  notice.  I  am  very  well  known  now 
«  in  this  country,  so  that  all  letters  will  easily  come  to  hand. 
"  Indeed  there  has  been  a  singular  spirit  of  inquiry  among 
"the  natives  on  the  subject  of  the  march  of  a  company's  Pa- 
"  dre ;  and  I  learn  from  them,  that  I  am  a  rich  man,  pro- 
"  ceeding  on  a  pilgrimage,  to  worship  the  God  of  the  Chris- 
"  tians,  not  far  from  Singhul  Deep." 

Dr.  Buchanan's  next  letter  is  dated  May  31st,  from  Bud- 
druck  in  Orissa,  from  which  he  began  to  anticipate  his  ap- 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  g83 

proach  to  Juggernaut,  and  the  frightful  impression  of  wliich, 
from  tiie  hones  of  pilgrims  with  which  the  road  in  its  neigh- 
bourhood was  strewed,  he  has  painted  in  sucl»  striking  co- 
lours in  the  first  published  extract  from  his  Journal.  The 
following  account  of  a  rencontre  with  a  Hindoo  Rajah  is  from 
his  letter  to  Mr.  Brown. 

"Juggernaut's  temples  begin  to  multiply  as  I  move  on. 
"  The  common  huts  are  decorated  by  his  horrid  face.  The 
**  Sanyasses  (holy  men)  arc  now  more  naked  ;  and  the  talk 
<^  and  manners  of  the  Byraggies  more  licentious. 
.  "  The  Kunka  or  Kannaka  Rajah  paid  me  a  visit  at  my 
**tent  last  night.  I  had  heard  he  had  formerly  murdered 
^<  some  English  sailors  who  were  wTccked  on  his  coast  be- 
"  tween  Balasore  and  Juggernaut,  and  therefore  resolved 
"  not  to  acknowledge  him  as  a  gentleman.  I  accordingly 
"  desired  a  table  to  be  placed  on  the  lawn  before  the  tent, 
<«  and  one  chair,  in  which  I  sat  with  a  book  before  me.  The 
"  Rajah  came  up  with  much  ceremony  and  presented  a  nuz- 
"  zur.  I  did  not  rise  from  my  seat,  nor  offer  him  one.  He 
"was  much  embarrassed  I  spoke  to  him  civilly  ;  and  pre- 
"  sently  rose  up  and  made  salam  to  him  as  a  signal  to  de- 
«  part.  The  crowd  of  Faquirs  and  Sanyasses  could  not 
"  understand  this.  After  he  was  gone  I  told  them  the  rea- 
"  son,  and  that  I  could  not  as  a  Christian  Padre  bow  to  vice, 
"  whether  in  a  Rajah  or  in  a  Priest.  This  seemed  some- 
«  thing  new  to  them  ;  but  one  of  them,  a  very  old  man,  said 
«  it  was  very  proper. 

"  I  believe  I  mentioned  to  you  that  it  was  my  purpose  to 
"  move  rapidly  by  dawk  along  the  coast  from  Juggernaut  to 
"  Cochin,  staying  a  few  days  at  Madras.  Hitherto  I  have 
"suffered  no  inconveniences  from  heat  or  fatigue.  I  am 
<«  therefore  encouraged  to  try  a  flying  course  for  a  few 
"  weeks. 

*«  At  Jagepoor,  my  next  stage,  the  names  of  all  the  pil- 
"grims  are  registered.  Illustrious  names  for  four  hundred 
"  years  back  are  found  on  giving  a  small  fee." 

» Christian  Researches,  p.  17. 


^84?  MEMOIRS  OF 

On  the  etliof  June  Dr.  Buchanan  reached  Cuttack,  from 
whence  he  wrote  the  two  next  amusing  and  interesting  let- 
tors. 

*<  I  arrived  here  yesterday  after  eight  days  march  with- 
*«  out  seeing  a  white  face;  aboriginal  Uriahs,  Burgahs,  that 
♦<  is,  Mahrattas,  and  Loll  Jattris,  being  all  my  society.  I 
«  hear  I  am  expected  at  Juggernaut,  fame  having  travelled 
"  before,  and  informed  him  that  a  company's  Padre  is  on  a 
•<  progress.  No  unworthy  suspicion  is  yet  entertained,  I  bc- 
*Oieve;  and  I  am  received  at  the  Bhur  or  Banian  tree  of 
<<  each  Munzil  with  a  hurrebol  by  my  fellow  Padres  and 
«  their  flocks.  The  scene  is  rather  comic ;  but  so  it  is.  Notes 
*^  tragic  I  sound  not ;  and  thus  we  travel  onward  harmoni- 
•*  ously  together. 

«  I  dine  to  day  with  Mr.  Hartwell,  register,  and  to-mor- 
«  row  with  Colonel  Marley.  Next  day,  Sunday,  is  sacred ; 
<*  and  next  day  to  it,  Monday,  I  dine  with  the  judge  of  the 
^<  province,  Mr.  Ker,  who  has  offered  me  every  aid  in  the 
»<  prosecution  of  my  journey.  On  Tuesday  I  proceed  for 
**  Juggernaut. 

<«  The  novel  scenes  of  this  place  occupy  my  attention,  but 
•'<  I  meet  with  nothing  worthy  of  description.  It  is  just  as  I 
« told  you ;  I  have  not  yet  had  pen  or  pencil  in  my  hand 
<^  since  I  left  Calcutta.  I  have  lived  too  long  for  natural 
«  history.  What  are  called  manners  and  customs  of  a  peo- 
*'  pie,  are  nearly  as  futile  to  him  who  is  inquiring  in  what 
«  state  a  people  are  in  relation  to  the  Almighty,  and  to  the 
*<  purpose  of  their  creation." 

"Cuttack,  8th  June,  1806. 

«  The  tigers  abound  in  the  vicinity  of  Juggernaut,  and 
<«  kill  the  pilgrims.  A  hunting  party  of  eight  elephants  have 
« lately  proceeded  from  this  place  to  kill  them. 

«  It  is  supposed  that  eight  lacks  of  pilgrims  are  already 
«  arrived  at  Juggernaut. 

"  The  Kunka  Rajah,  alarmed  at  my  reception  of  him,  and 

<«  fearing  lest  I  should  give  an  unfavourable  character  of  him 

*«  at  this  place,  followed  me,  and  overtook  me  in  two  marches. 

'  He  requested  moolaqat.     I  explained  to  him  the  cause  of 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  ^5 

**  my  conduct  towards  him.  He  said  he  repented  of  his  for- 
"  mer  sins,  and  hoped  the  British  government  would  pardon 
"  him.  I  told  him  that  on  condition  of  his  learning  English 
*'  principles  I  would  hefriend  him,  if  I  could.  He  is  at  pre- 
<*  sent  under  the  displeasure  of  our  government,  having  de- 
"  fended  his  fort  after  the  conquest  of  the  country,  which 
*<  cost  us  blood  and  money.  His  first  request  was,  that  I 
"  would  intercede  for  him  with  the  judge  of  the  province, 
^'  that  he  should  be  permitted  to  visit  Juggernaut,  which  was 
«  formerly  refused.  I  mentioned  tlie  circumstance  to  Mr. 
'i  Kerlast  night,  who  has  given  him  permission.  The  Ra- 
<*  jah  is  now  here,  with  an  immense  Sowarree ;  and  I  sup- 
«  pose  we  shall  proceed  together  to  Juggernaut. 

"  Much  attention  is  paid  to  me  by  all  ranks  of  people  here, 
«« attention  undeserved  and  unnecessary.  The  tone  is  fa- 
"  vourable  to  civilization,  and  the  language  conciliating  and 
*<  decorous  on  all  grave  subjects. 

«<  In  the  mean  time,  this  world,  like  the  wilderness  through 
*<  which  I  am  passing,  has  nothing  interesting  to  my  hopes 
*<  or  fears.  And  I  have  more  comfort  in  reading  a  hymn  of 
"  Watts,  than  in  contemplating  plans  of  improvement  for  In- 
<<  dia.  I  look  to  no  resting  place  but  in  a  close  walk  with 
'*  God.  To  find  that,  is  a  more  valuable  ev^7,Kx  than  to 
*<  find  manuscripts  at  Cochin. 

i^  The  commander  of  the  troops  in  this  province  has  or- 
«  dered  a  guard  of  seven  seapoys  for  me  to  the  Madras 
<*  frontier,  Ganjam.  I  am  glad  I  shall  have  them  around 
<«  me  among  the  priests  at  Juggernaut. 

«  Tell  H that  there  is  a  fort  here  built  by  a  proud 

"  king,  having  the  following  inscription  in  Persian  on  the 
"  gate.  <  My  walls  are  of  iron,  and  my  ditch  is  full  of  alliga- 
"  tors.  I  shall  never  be  taken.'  And  so,  because  he  trust- 
«  ed  not  in  God,  but  in  his  iron  walls,  his  fort  was  taken  by 
.«  Colonel  H— -." 

Of  Juggernaut*,  one  of  the  principal  objects  of  Dr.  Bu- 
chanan's journey,  of  his  stupendous  temple  and  countless 

sThe'popular  orthography  of  this  word  is  here  adopted,  as  more  familiar  to  the 
English  reader.  For  an  account  of  the  origin  of  this  idol  and  his  worship,  s^e  the 
eighth  volume  of  the  Asiatic  Researches 


g86  MEMOIRS  OF 

worshippers,  of  the  impure  rites  and  ceremonies  exhibited 
by  his  priests,  and  of  the  cruel  sacrifices  by  which  this  Mo- 
loch of  the  East  is  propitiated,  the  public  has  been  so  fully  in- 
formed by  Dr.  Buchanan  himself,  that  it  is  unnecessary  to 
repeat  his  dreadfully  interesting  narrative  of  the  whole 
scene^.  His  letters  to  Mr.  Brown,  though  in  a  somewhat 
varied  form,  contain  substantially  the  same  details ;  and, 
like  the  extracts  from  his  Journal,  to  which  any  who  are  de- 
sirous of  farther  information  are  referred,  cannot  be  read 
without  the  deepest  emotions  of  horror  and  pity,  and  without 
exciting  in  every  benevolent  aud  Christian  mind  an  ardent 
prayer,  that  the  time  may  not  be  far  distant  when  these  abo- 
minations shall  cease,  and  the  horrid  tower  of  Juggernaut  be 
replaced  by  the  temple  of  the  God  of  purity  and  love.  A  few 
circumstances,  liowcver,  which  did  not  appear  in  the  Journal, 
shall  be  added  from  the  letters  to  Mr.  Brown,  from  the  14th 
to  the  21st  of  June. 

<*  I  shall  not  enter  into  farther  detail  of  the  state  of  super- 
'<  stition  here.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  all  you  have  heard  is 
<<  true.  A  short  record  of  facts  may  be  committed  to  paper; 
"but  I  have  no  design  of  disclosing  the  philosophy  of  Jug- 
«  gernaut  at  this  time ;  and  I  hope  that  it  will  never  be 
<*  necessary," 

Such  was  DK  Buchanan's  intention  at  this  period;  but 
the  time  at  length  came  when  an  imperious  sense  of  duty 
compelled  him  to  publish  it. 

«  Tell  H."  continues  Mr.  Buchanan,  "  (who  gets  all  my 
"  natural  history  and  political  remarks,)  that  the  temple  of 
<^  Juggernaut  is  so  high,  that  men  appear  on  the  top  of  it 
<«  like  crows  ;  and  that  it  is  surrounded  by  a  square  area  of 
<«  great  extent,  in  each  side  of  which  there  is  a  gateway 
"  larger  than  the  pagoda  near  your  house. 

«  A  chief  object  of  my  journey  is  perhaps  accomplished  by 
"  my  having  seen  Juggernaut.  Nothing  has  been,  I  believe, 
*<  concealed  from  me.  Every  question  is  answered,  and  I 
"  scarcely  wish  to  know  more.     I  shall  continue  to  mix  with 

b  Christian  Researches,  pp.17 — 32.  Philad.  ed. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  SB? 

« the  people  two  days  more,  and  then  I  proceed  to  Ganjam. 
«  Mr.  Hunter  is  desirous  that  I  should  prolong  my  visit;  but 
<^  my  spirit  of  inquiry  is  exhausted,  and  my  body  is  fatigued 
<«  with  my  spirits  ;  so  that  I  look  forward  to  my  journey  for 
<<  relief  from  this  twofold  oppression, 

«  I  write  this  from  the  plain  of  sculls  near  the  sea  ;  and  \ 
ii  it  so  happens  that  a  scull  is  under  my  chair,  half  buried  in  J 
<«  the  sand." 

"  Juggernaut,  Saturday,  21st  June,  1806. 

<<  I  propose  to  proceed  on  my  journey  this  evening,  that  I 
•<  may  find  a  place  of  rest  for  my  Sabbath  to-morrow  far  off 
"  from  Juggernaut.  My  best  Sabbaths  are  generally  in  the 
<«  wilderness. 

«  The  number  of  pilgrims  here  is  uncertain.  Mr.  Hunter 
"  has  no  means  of  probable  calculation.  From  the  nature 
"  of  the  place,  we  perhaps  did  not  see  more  than  two  or 
«  three  hundred  thousand  persons  at  the  same  time.  But  I 
"  cannot  judge,  any  more  than  I  could  say  how  many  grains 
«  there  are  in  a  handful  of  sand. 

"  Can  it  be  that  the  true  seed  of  Abraham  shall  be  «  as 
<<  the  sand  upon  the  sea  shore  for  multitude  ?'  Doubtless,  it 
«  is  true;  and  with  this  faith  I  conclude  my  last  line  to  you 
«  from  Juggernanfa." 

Dr.  Buchanan  himself  published  his  reflections  on  view- 
ing the  distant  towers  of  Juggernaut  from  an  eminence  on 
the  deliglitful  banks  of  the  Chilka  Lake,  and  the  design 
which  he  then  conceived  of  some  "  Christian  Institution," 
which  migl)t  gradually  undermine  the  frightful  idolatry  he 
had  been  contemplating,  and  blot  out  its  memory  for  ever. 
This  was  on  Sunday  the  22d.  On  the  29th  he  dates  from 
Ganjam,  and  thus  continues  his  correspondence  with  Mr. 
Brown. 

**  I  write  to  you  from  a  new  Presidency.  I  am  happy  I 
<«  did  not  die  at  Juggernaut  (the  danger  was  imminent).  My 
"record  is  engraved  in  strong  legible  characters  ;  and  it  is 
<*  of  less  importance  where  I  shall  die  ;   I  mean  in  reference 

a  Christian  Researches,  p.  27.  Phil.  ed. 


;38S  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  to  my  testimony  against  the  empire  of  Moloeli,  <  whose  seat 
♦<  in  the  whole  earth  is  Juggernaut.'  His  horrors  have 
^*  awakened  me  a  little,  and  I  have  committed  to  paper  some 
"  notices  of  my  route  from  Bengal. 

"  On  my  entrance  into  the  Madras  territory,  I  have  ex- 
**  perienced  great  civility  and  attention.  Here  I  leave  my 
"  tents,  servants,  and  equipage,  and  I  proceed  by  dawk  to 
«  Fort  St.  George.  Mr.  Cherry,  the  Judge,  being  doubt- 
'*  ful  whether  I  shall  not  feel  inconvenience  in  having  no  ser- 
"  vant  at  all,  has  issued  orders  for  a  dooly  to  be  prepared 
*^  for  my  steward,  and  has  provided  means  of  carrying  him 
"  close  to  my  own  palanquin  to  the  extremity  of  this  pro- 
"  vince. 

<<  I  encounter  now  a  new  mode  of  travelling.  How  I  sh?ill 
"  bear  it  I  cannot  tell.  The  chief  suffering  is  the  want  of  a 
<^  bed,  which  I  have  already  sometimes  experienced.  But 
*<  I  am  anxious  to  get  to  the  capital.  On  the  other  side  I  shall 
"  take  my  time." 

"  Ganjam,  1st  July,  1806. 

«*  I  proceed  this  evening  on  my  journey  to  Visagapatam 
*«  by  dawk.  I  dine  first  with  Captain  E.  He  has  been  plant- 
'^  ing  one  lack  and  fifty  thousand  cocoa-nut  trees,  and  has 
"  made  a  barren  land  like  the  garden  of  Eden. 

**  I  have  been  among  the  mountains  for  some  days,  and  vi- 
*<  sited  Rumbo,  the  famous  villa  on  the  Chilka  Lake.  I  look 
^<  at  what  is  wonderful  or  great  in  the  eyes  of  men. 

a  My  residence  at  each  of  my  stations  is  a  history,  if  it 
<<  were  written.  New  places,  new  characters,  new  politics. 
"  Truth  alone  is  the  same." 

*«  Visagapatam,  6tli  July,  180C. 

**  Before  this  reaches  you,  I  shall  probably  be  at  Madras, 
'  *<  I  found  travelling  by  dawk  very  pleasant.  It  aflbrds 
"  me  more  time  to  stop  at  places  of  importance. 

<«  The  families  here  pay  me  much  attention,  and  have 
'*  made  a  party  for  me  to  go  out  to  see  a  celebrated  pagoda 
*^  (not  yet  noticed  by  any  writer,  because  not  seen)  about 
"  sixteen  miles  in  the  interior  among  the  mountains. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  289 

•<  I  have  no  news  for  H.  except  that  I  live  among  lofty 
•^  mountains  ;  from  which  I  see  ships  far  off  at  sea,  and  hear 
<<  the  roar  of  the  hiliows  on  the  rocky  shore.*' 

"  Visagapatam,  l-2th  July,  1806. 

"  The  pa.i^oda  at  Seemachalum  is  in  many  respects  more 
•*  interesting  than  Juggernaut.  No  scene  of  nature  I  have 
^^  yet  beheld  is  so  romantic  as  the  site  and  vicinity  of  this 
<<  temple,  which  is  built  on  a  rocky  mountain.  You  ascend 
<'  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  mile  by  steps  of  hewn  stone  and  of 
<^  live  rock.  A  stream  of  pure  water  issues  from  the  mount ; 
"  and  this  is  the  sacred  fountain,  and  the  origin  of  the  tem- 
^*  pie.  Here  the  idolatry  of  Juggernaut  is  exhibited  in  ano- 
^'  ther  form  ;  but  the  substance  is  the  same. 

"  I  have  not  been  able  to  disengage  myself  from  this  so- 
*«  ciety  till  the  present  hour.  I  proceed  on  my  journey  this 
<«  morning.  I  have  passed  the  last  two  days  with  Mr.  C.  tlie 
*•  collector  here,  at  his  beautiful  mansion  on  the  top  of  a  hill, 
"  from  which  we  look  down  on  the  deck  of  the  St.  Fiorenzo 
"and  the  Albatross,  which  appear  like  two  little  boats  be- 
<<  low." 

"Samulcotta,  15th  July,  1806. 

^*  I  intended  to  have  passed  this  place  without  stopping; 
<<  but  Colonel  O'Reilly,  who  commands  the  troops  here,  came 
« to  the  bazar  for  me  himself,  and  prevailed  on  me  to  stay  a 
*'  night. 

"  I  am  in  great  danger  of  being  detained  frequently  in  my 
**  future  progress  through  these  territories. 

<«  I  have  this  evening  visited  the  botanic  garden,  over 
•'<  which  Dr.  R.  formerly  presided." 

From  this  point  no  letter  to  Mr.  Brown  occurs  till  Dr.  Bu- 
chanan's arrival  at  Madras.  In  a  memorandum  book  which 
remains,  he  notices  a  sail  on  the  Godavery  ,•  and  that  at  El- 
lore,  where  he  hired  bearers  for  Madras,  he  passed  through 
a  flat  country  bounded  by  the  horizon. 

On  the  od  of  August  Dr.  Buchanan  thus  resumes  his  cor- 
respondence. 

o  2 


S^gO  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  Madras,  3(1  August,  1806. 

^'  I  arrived  here  on  the  31st  of  July,  and  am  now  liospita- 
<*  bly  lodged  in  the  house  of  Mr.  H.  I  was  retarded  in  my 
'' journey  by  a  fever,  which  seized  me  between  Rajamundry 
"  and  Ongole,  far  off  from  medical  aid.  It  was  accompanied 
*^  by  the  same  symptoms  as  my  former.  I  found  a  great  dif- 
**  ference  between  this  last  illhess  in  a  palanquin  in  a  jungle, 
*<  and  the  former,  when  I  was  surrounded  by  the  skilful  and 
^<  the  good.  On  my  arrival  at  Ongole,  I  obtained  some  me- 
^*  dicine  from  a  native,  which  was  useful.  I  am  now  well 
«  again. 

''  Tell  H.  that  all  my  way  from  the  Chilka  Lake  to  Ma- 
"  dras  I  did  not  see  one  scull;  that  the  people  on  the  sea- 
«  coast  are  generally  without  cast ;  that  they  are  humane  to 
"  strangers;  and  that  the  women  used  to  make  broths  and 
^«  congee  for  me  when  I  was  sick  of  the  fever.  They  eat 
"  pork  and  all  meats.  The  Telinga  missionaries  will  have  a 
^«  fine  harvest,  if  they  labour  among  them.  No  rain  has  fallen 
<«  since  I  left  Juggernaut.  The  weather  has  been  temperate 
<<  and  very  favourable  to  my  journey.  I  shall  now  meet  with 
<«  rains  in  Tanjore,  Mr.  R.  tells  me.'' 

"Madras,  6th  August,  1806. 

^<  I  have  letters  for  every  station  to  the  south ;  and  letters 
♦<  from  almost  every  station  inviting  me  to  call.  There  has 
<<  indeed  been  so  much  blood  shed  at  Vellore,  and  so  many 
"  gentlemen  murdered,  that  an  attack  on  me  would  not  be 
« thought  strange. 

«  In  the  mean  time  government  have  authorized  me  to  pro- 
*'  ceed  ;  and  desired  me  to  communicate  my  observations  on 
^«the  state  of  the  Cliristians  in  the  south.  I  trust,  therefore, 
«  that  my  way  is  not  of  myself,  but  of  Providence  directing 
"  me. 

"  I  visited  yesterday  the  deputy  Bishop  at  St.  Thome,  and 
**  the  ancient  Portuguese  library.  Mr.  T.  the  Gentoo  scholar, 
•*  goes  to  see  it  to-morrow.  It  contains,  among  other  valua- 
*<  ble  books,  the  Bullarium  Magnum  Romanum,  or  the  Pope's 
••  Statutes  at  large  during  the  dark  ages. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  S9l 

<*  At  Tritchinopoly  is  another  famous  library,  and  a  Syri- 
»«  an  church. 

"  Tell  H.  that  I  saw  yesterday  St.  Thomas's  bones,  pre- 
.*  served  as  a  relic  in  a  gold  shrine  ;  and  that  I  saw  his  grave, 
<.'  whence  the  Roman  Catholic  pilgrims  carry  the  dust." 

"  Pondicheiry,  13th  Aug.  180G. 

«*  I  have  travelled  these  two  days  with  Mr.  E.  the  orien- 
^aalist,  and  Mr.  S.  Judge  of  Tinavclly.  Mr.  E.  is  ex- 
"  tremely  attentive  to  me,  and  wishes  to  oblige  me  by  every 
♦«  information  in  his  power. 

"  It  is  impossible  for  me  to  conceal  my  name,  as  was  pro- 
*<  posed.  The  Christians  have  heard  of  it,  and  I  am  greet- 
<•  ed  by  them  as  one  who  comes  in  the  name  of  government 
«  to  do  them  good.  I  already  know  what  is  to  be  done  at 
**  the  missionary  stations.  Dr.  R.  and  others  informed  me 
<^  fully.  From  every  quarter  there  is  a  cry  of  the  sheep  for 
"  a  shepherd.  They  meet  and  pray  under  a  tree,  and  the 
<«  Brahmins  mock." 

Dr.  Buchanan's  next  letter  is  dated  from  Ziegenbalg's 
church  in  Tranquebar,  August  25th.  Of  the  visit  which  he 
paid  to  this  spot,  consecrated  by  the  memory  of  the  first 
Christian  missionaries  to  India,  and  of  his  subsequent  arri- 
val at  Tanjore,  he  has  given  an  account  in  the  work  which 
has  been  already  referred  to^  This  was,  however  so  inter- 
esting a  part  of  his  tour,  that  it  appears  desirable  to  give  a 
sketch  of  it  from  his  correspondence,  together  with  a  few 
particulars,  which  were  either  wholly  omitted,  or  but  par- 
tially detailed  in  his  Journal. 

*<  I  have  just  visited  the  tomb  of  Ziegenbalg,  which  is  on 
«  the  side  of  the  altar  in  the  church  he  built.  It  was  conse- 
'i  crated  on  the  2d  of  October  1718,  and  he  died  on  the  23d 
«  of  February  1719.  I  heard  divine  service  performed  in 
<*  the  Tamul  tongue,  and  about  two  hundred  natives  sung 
*<the  hundredth  Psalm.  During  the  sermon  some  of  them 
<»  wrote  on  an  olla  or  palmyra  leaf.  The  missionary  told  me 
"  that  the  catechists  sometimes  take  down  a  whole  sermon 

a  Christian  Researches,  p.  37—45.  Phil.  eA 


agS  MEMOIRS  OF 

"in  this  manner,  and  repeat  it  to  the  children  in  the  eve- 
**  ning*. 

"  I  also  visited  Ziegenbalg's  dwelling-house,  built  by  him- 
••'  self,  and  not  altered  since  his  time.  1  inspected  the  re- 
"  cords  of  baptism  commencing  in  May  1706.  Mr.  C.  a 
*<  missionary  here,  told  me  they  had  some  thoughts  of  cele- 
"  brating  the  hundredth  anniversary  this  year,  but  they  had 
"  no  money. 

<*  I  then  visited  the  library  in  which  Ziegenbalg  first 
•^  preached  ;  and  afterwards  a  small  chapel  on  the  sea-shore. 
^«  in  which  he  sometimes  exhorted.  The  library  is  extensive 
"  and  valuable,  but  in  a  perishing  state.  Here  I  found  the 
**  Hindostanee  Psalter ;  and  I  am  informed  that  at  Tanjorc 
♦*  I  shall  find  a  Hindostanee  Grammar,  published  about  sixty 
"  years  ago. 

"  The  Jesuits  at  Pondicherry  have  a  fine  collection  of  an- 
*»  cient  Indian  History.  They  very  politely  gave  me  all  the 
<*  books  I  wanted,  and  letters  of  introduction  to  their  breth- 
**  ren  in  the  south.  They  also  furnished  me  with  a  late 
"  statement  of  their  churches  in  India ;  and  Padre  B.  re- 
**  quested  leave  to  correspond  with  me  in  Latin. 

"  Dr.  John  is  at  Tanjore,  where  I  expect  to  see  him  and 
*«  Mr.  Kolhoff  in  two  or  three  days. 

**  The  most  pious  man  I  have  yetlbund  is  Mr.  S.  a  young 
*<  missionary  lately  arrived.  He  assured  me  that  there  are 
*<some  real  Christians  among  the  Hindoo  converts.  At  Cud- 
"  dalore  I  passed  a  night  with  Mr.  H.  At  that  place  the 
*<  Cadet  Company  (one  hundred  and  twenty  strong)  is  now 
^i  established  on  account  of  the  salubrity  of  the  situation. 

'« At  the  celebrated  pagoda  of  Chillumbrum  near  Porto 
*i  Novo,  I  was  admitted  (I  know  not  why)  into  the  interior, 
*^  while  the  priests  made  Pooja.  I  never  had  such  a  clear 
<«  revelation  of  this  idolatry  before.  The  dancing  girls  were 
*«  present.  The  Judge  of  the  place,  Mr.  R.  had  introduced 
«  me  to  the  Brahmins  the  evening  before  in  the  outer  court. 
"  During  the  ceremony  two  immense  bells  were  rung  and 
"  drums  were  beat.  My  heart  began  to  palpitate  a  little, 
*«  from  fear  I  believe ;  and  I  hastily  retired.    This  is  a  re- 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  ^93 

ii  markable  scene.  I  could  easily  pass  a  month  at  every 
<i  stage.  This  is  more  illustrious  than  classic  ground.  For 
^<  here  Ziegenbalg  and  Grundler  preached  the  Gospel  to 
'^  men,  whose  descendants  I  have  conversed  with,  and  who 
"can  justly  appreciate  the  heavenly  gift.  The  Danish  Go- 
"  vernor  here  invited  the  missionaries  to  meet  me.  Tanjore 
*«  is  the  grand  theatre  of  the  Gospel  in  late  years,  and  to 
«'  that  place  I  proceed  this  afternoon  ;  but  I  shall  stay  one 
"one  day  at  Combeconum,  where  the  oriental  E.  is  Judge. 
"  He  is  very  anxious  to  see  some  pages  of  a  Portuguese  book 
"  which  I  procured  from  the  Jesuits  at  Pondicherry.  It  is 
"  about  three  hundred  years  old.  He  is  a  great  admirer  of 
"  the  genius  of  Xavier,  and  thinks  that  a  Protestant  mis- 
•«  sionary  of  such  powers  might  convert  Hindostan." 

"  Combeconum,  near  Tanjore,  Aug.  27,  1806. 

"  In  the  midst  of  some  horrible  looking  blood-red  idols,  I 
•<  shall  write  a  few  lines.  Mr.  E.  is  not  yet  arrived  here, 
"  having  supposed  that  I  should  have  staid  longer  at  Tran- 
'*  quebar ;  which  I  should  have  done,  had  I  not  been  afraid 
"  of  a  number  of  entertainments.  These  are  sometimes  use- 
"  ful,  for  the  best  information  I  generally  obtain  is  from  the 
*'  chief  people.  They  were  all  much  surprised  at  the  inte- 
**  rest  I  took  in  the  ancient  mission  of  Ziegenbalg.  The  mis- 
"  sionaries  themselves jA^ere  ignorant  of  many  subjects  of  my 
"  inquiry ;  and  were  a  good  deal  ashamed,  I  believe,  at  my 
*<  notice  of  the  former  glory  of  the  mission  compared  with 
"  its  present  state.  I  have  reason  to  believe  that  the  three 
"  London  missionaries,  Desgranges,  Cran,  and  Mr.  Palms 
"  are  tliree  holy  men  ;  and  it  appears  as  if  the  glory  had 
"  now  departed  from  Germany,  and  was  given  to  England. 
"  So  Mr.  S.  speaks.  He  is  a  promising  young  man ;  and  as 
<^  his  society  gives  him  only  three  hundred  rupees  a  year,  I 
«  gave  him  a  half  year's  salary  to  buy  some  clothes  and 
"  books.    Though  he  has  been  but  two  years  in  India,  he 

a  Mrs.  P.  is  a  help  meet  in  the  Gospel.  She  learns  tlie  languages  faster  than  her 
husband,  and  devotes  herself  to  the  real  object  of  the  mission.  Mr  P,  is  at  Jaff- 
napatam 


iS94  MEMOIRS  OF 

**  pronounced  a  very  good  sermon  in  the  Tamul  tongue, 
<«  whicli  the  native  catechist  told  me  was  perfectly  intelligi- 
**  ble  to  all  the  congregation. 

"  It  is  a  pleasant  thing  to  see  an  assembly  of  natives  list- 
<*  ening  most  earnestly  to  a  sermon.  Every  one  of  them 
<^  can  read  the  Bible  ;  and  Luther's  first  Psalter  (the  Ger- 
<*  man  Gesang  Buch)  is  very  familiar  with  them.  They 
^^  sing  a  great  variety  of  tunes  with  much  propriety." 

"Tanjore,  1st  Sept.  1806. 

<^  This  is  the  grand  scene  of  all.  This  is  the  garden  of 
"  the  Gospel. 

«  Some  days  before  my  arrival  here,  the  Resident,  Major 
<«  Blackburne,  wrote  to  me,  inviting  me  to  reside  at  his 
'^  house.  This  was  unexpected,  for  as  yet  I  had  no  commu- 
<^  nication  with  Tanjore.  On  my  arrival  there,  I  first  wait- 
^«  ed  on  Mr.  Kolhoff,  and  he  shewed  me  two  rooms,  which  he 
"  had  prepared  for  my  reception.  He  told  me  that  the  Ra- 
^«  jah  (Serfogee)  was  impatient  to  see  me,  and  had  directed 
"  the  Resident  to  let  him  know  when  I  came.  I  asked  how 
"  the  Rajah  came  to  know  me.  He  said  that  the  Resident 
<«  had  a  copy  of  my  Memoir,  and  of  Mr.  Mitchell's  Essay. 

^«  Mr.  KolhofFis  first  in  piety,  in  ardour,  in  meekness,  and 
"  in  knowledge  of  the  Tamul ;  for  he  has  been  brought  up 
"  chiefly  in  India.  His  countenance  is  more  expressive  of 
<<  amiable  qualities  of  mind  than  that  of  any  man  I  ever  saw. 
*^  Major  Blackburne  admires  him  much." 

"  Tanjore,  2d  Sept,  ISOG. 

<*  On  my  arrival  here  on  Friday  last,  the  29th  of  August, 
^<  great  numbers  of  Christians  came  to  visit  me ;  and  Mr. 
"  Kolhoff  introduced  some  particularly  to  me,  as  being  tru- 
"  ly  godly  and  intelligent  men.  He  gave  me  also  an  account 
<«  of  many  triumphant  deaths  lately,  both  of  men  and  women* 
"  young  and  old. 

*<  As  I  went  to  the  Resident's  house  I  passed  througli  a 
<«long  street  inhabited  by  Christians  only.  They  stood  in 
*'  rows  as  we  passed,  and  bowed  affectionately  to  their  pas- 
^^  tor,  the  young  women  coming  forward  with  lively  confi- 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  295 

«  dence,  and  soliciting  his  benediction.  The  infants  also 
«  form  themselves  in  little  rows,  and  waiting  his  approach 
«  make  the  customary  salutation,  '  God  be  praised.' 

<<  When  we  arrived  at  the  Resident's,  he  told  me  that  the 
<<  Rajah  had  appointed  next  day  (Saturday)  at  noon  to  re- 
<^  ceive  me.    I  proceeded  accordingly  to  the  palace,  accom- 
<<  panied  by  the  Resident :  the  Rajah  arose  on  our  entrance, 
<'  and  taking  me  by  the  hand  led  me  to  a  seat  on  his  right. 
^«  He  spoke  English  very  well,  and  intimated  that  he  knew 
^*  me  very  well.   After  some  conversation,  he  carried  me  up 
"  to  his  splendid  apartments,  which  are  ornamented  with 
«« the  portraits  of  Tanjore  kings.    All  around  there  is  a  dis- 
<*  play  of  gold,  silver,  and  mirrors,  English  paintings,  libra- 
^«  ries,  musical  instruments,  orreries,  portfolios  of  oriental 
«  drawings,  and  many  curiosities  in  art  and  nature.    Find- 
'^  ing  that  I  wished  to  hear  the  music  of  the  ■vina^,  he  order- 
«  ed  up  the  chief  musician.     He  has  a  band  of  twenty  per- 
«  formers,  of  whom  twelve  play  on  the  vina,  and  one  on  the 
<'  harp.    The  whole  black  band  can  read  English  music.   In 
"  the  evening  his  Highness   sent  the   band  to  Major   B. 
<* where  I  dined.      Six  vinas  and  six  singers  played  'God 
<<  save  the  King,'  in  Tamul  words,  applied  to  the  Maha  Ra- 
^«jah.   They  played  also  a  variety  of  English  overtures  and 
« Indian  airs,  the  master  of  the  band  sitting  by  and  keeping 
«'  time. 

«  My  visit  to  the  Rajah  was  very  long.  Our  chief  conver- 
<<  sation  related  to  Mr.  Swartz.  When  I  first  mentioned  his 
«  name,  his  Highness  led  me  up  to  the  picture  of  the  reve- 
<'rend  apostle.  He  then  shewed  me  the  design  for  the 
"  groupe  for  the  marble  monument,  now  executing  by  Mr. 
"  Bacon  in  England.  It  represents  the  Rajah  coming  to  the 
*«  bed  of  the  dying  Swartz,  and  taking  him  affectionately  by 
«•  the  hand,  while  a  number  of  boys  are  weeping  at  his 
"  feet. 

"  When  I  was  about  to  depart,  tlie  Rajah  presented  me, 
<'  to  my  great  surprise,  with  a  picture  of  himself,  a  minia- 

*  Described  bv  Sir  William  Jones  in  the  third  volume  of  the  Asiatic  Researches. 


^QQ  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  ture  about  six  inches  in  length,  elegantly  set  in  a  gold  and 
"  silver  frame,  and  glazed.  We  then  went  down  stairs  and 
**  resumed  our  seats.  I  took  tnis  opportunity  (having  pre- 
<^viousIy  acquainted  the  Resident  with  my  purpose,  who 
**  communicated  it  to  the  Rajah)  of  thanking  his  Highness, 
"  in  the  name  of  the  Society  at  home,  and  of  all  Mr. 
<«  Swartz's  friends  in  India,  for  the  remarkable  kindness 
«^  shewn  by  the  Rajah  to  that  worthy  man,  and  to  his  suc- 
"  cessors,  and  for  the  munificent  support  granted  lately  by 
<«  the  Rajah  to  the  body  of  Christians  in  his  dominions. 

<^  To  this  he  replied  in  suitable  terms,  declaring  it  to  be 
<<  his  purpose  to  befriend  the  Christians  for  ever.  He  then 
"  called  for  pawn ;  and  immediately  afterwards  a  servant 
''  came  up  with  four  pieces  of  gold  cloth  of  different  kinds, 
**  which  the  Rajah  taking  into  his  hands  presented  to  me. 
"  He  then  put  a  chaplet  of  flowers  round  my  neck,  (this  is 
^«  the  usual  etiquette,)  and  a  bracelet  of  flowers  on  my 
'«  arms,  and  leading  me  and  the  Resident,  one  in  each  hand, 
<'  to  the  steps  of  the  hall,  he  bowed  and  retired. 

*^  The  Rajah  has  lately  erected  a  college  for  Hindoos, 
^^  Mohammedans,  and  Christians.  Fifty  Christian  boys  are 
"  admitted,  and  taught  by  schoolmasters  provided  by  the 
*<  missionaries.  The  expense  of  this  institution  is  (accord- 
«  ing  to  the  account  of  the  Resident)  about  five  lacks  of  ru- 
«<  pees.  But  this  includes  the  expense  of  buildings.  It  is 
"  also  a  charitable  asylum  for  the  aged,  and  a  choultry  for 
"  travellers,  there  being  an  apartment  for  every  denomina- 
"  tion.  His  Highness  wished  me  to  visit  his  college.  It  is 
*«  about  fifteen  miles  from  Tanjore.  He  is  now  construct- 
"  ing  a  brass  orrery  to  represent  the  Tychonic  system ; 
'^  w^hich  he  wishes  to  believe  rather  than  the  Copernican,  as 
^<  it  is  the  system  of  the  Brahmins.  He  is  still  a  heathen ; 
"  but  Dr.  John  says  he  is  a  Cornelius.  The  Brahmins  fear 
"  him  for  his  learning,  and  dread  the  result* 

<*  Last  Sunday  (the  30th  August)  was  a  great  day  among 
<<  the  Christians  at  Tanjore.  It  being  rumoured  that  a 
*«  friend  of  Mr.  Swartz  was  arrived,  the  Christians  flocked 
•^  together  from  all  quarters.     Divine  service  was  perform- 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  297 

"  ed  tliree  limes.  In  the  morning  we  all  proceeded  to  Mr. 
"  Swartz's  church  in  the  fort.  It  is  a  large  commodious 
"  building,  not  inferior  to  your  Calcutta  church.  Mr.  Kol- 
"  hoflf  read  prayers  in  English,  and  I  preached.  When  I 
"  came  to  the  mention  of  the  faithful  ministers  whom  God 
**  had  sent  to  his  people  in  this  place,  there  was  a  general 
^'  commotion,  and  Mr.  Kolhoff's  tears  flowed  fast,  which  not 
"  a  little  affected  his  flock.  Having  understood  that  the 
"  missionaries  seldom  prayed  for  the  reigning  prince  of  the 
<«  country,  I  thought  it  expedient  to  say,  (in  enumerating 
*<  the  themes  of  gratitude  of  the  church  here,)  «and  it  is  their 
«  bounden  duty  to  pray  for  the  long  life,  peace,  and  prospe- 
"  rity  of  the  present  most  excellent  Prince,  who  hath  mani- 
^^  fested  by  many  munificent  acts  his  regard  for  their  hap- 
"  piness  and  welfare.' 

"  At  eleven  o'clock  the  Tamul  congregation  assembled, 
"  filling  the  whole  church,  and  Dr.  John  preached  a  pow^er- 
«  ful  and  eloquent  sermon  in  the  Tamul  language. 

*^  In  the  vestry  all  the  native  teachers  and  preachers  came 
*^  to  make  their  speeches  to  me  ;  and  among  others  the  ce- 
<«  lebrated  Sattianaden,  the  Hindoo  preacher.  He  is  now 
«  stricken  in  years  and  infirm.  His  black  hair  is  grown 
"  grey.  He  is  rather  stout,  and  has  a  placid  look,  which  is 
'<  rendered  more  pleasing  by  his  wrinkles  and  age.  He 
<<  said  to  me,  alluding  to  some  part  of  my  sermon,  *  This 
<^  news  from  a  far  country  is  refreshing  to  our  souls.' 

*^  We  dined  at  Mr.  Kolhoff*'s  at  one  o'clock,  and  at  five  we 
"  went  to  the  small  church  out  of  the  fort,  in  which  Mr. 
««  Swartz  first  preached,  and  where  now  his  body  lies.  It  is 
'<  close  by  the  schools  and  Mr.  K's  house  and  mission  gar- 
^«  den.  Here  Mr.  Horst  preached  in  the  Portuguese  tongue 
^<  from  these  words,  '  Ye  who  were  once  afar  off*,'  &e.  This 
*f  \vas  a  solemn  service.  The  organ  was  drowned  by  the 
^'  human  voices,  which  sung  a  tune  of  Luther's  in  a  noble 
«  manner.  I  was  sitting  with  my  feet  on  the  granite  stone 
"  which  covers  Swartz's  grave.  Upon  the  stone  is  an  Eng- 
« lish  epitaph  in  verse,  written  by  the  present  Rajah.  In 
•'«the  evening  Mr.  K.  catechized  (or  superintended  the  ex 

p  2 


*j9g  MEMOIRS  OF 

*'  ercise)  in  the  schools  ;  and  the  sermon  of  the  morning  was 
"  read  over  by  one  of  the  short-hand  writers,  and  every 
*'  boy's  olla  was  examined  to  see  how  much  he  had  written. 

<^  Having  expressed  a  wish  to  hear  Sattianaden  preach, 
<<  the  same  was  intimated  to  the  people,  and  they  were  desi- 
<<  red  to  assemble  at  the  little  church  next  morning  (Mon- 
"  day)  at  nine  o'clock.  Accordingly  a  great  number  came 
^<  together,  and  the  venerable  minister  delivered  a  sermon 
"  full  of  fire.  His  natural  eloquence  and  various  intonation 
<*  were  truly  calculated  to  command  attention.  Both  Mr. 
^<  Kolhoff  and  Dr.  John  were  affected  by  the  discourse.  It 
*^  had  reference  to  the  former  darkness  in  India,  the  light  of 
•'<  Ziegenbalg  and  Swartz,  the  present  endeavour  to  spread 
«  the  Gospel,  and  lastly  the  light  of  heaven.  He  addressed 
«  the  young  generation  chiefly,  and  they  responded*  as  usual 
"  to  many  of  his  sentences.  He  made  great  use  of  the  Bi- 
"  ble ;  but  in  quoting  a  passage  he  called  upon  a  lower 
*<  minister  to  read  it  with  a  distinct  voice,  to  which  he  him- 
•<  self  listened  as  a  record,  and  then  proceeded  to  expound. 
*'  His  prayer  for  the  Church  of  England  at  the  end  was  full 
•'«  of  fervour ;  and  the  psalm  which  concluded  the  service 
<«  was  sung  with  an  ardent  devotion. 

^«  I  went  up  to  Sattianaden  in  the  presence  of  the  people, 
"  and  addressed  him  in  a  few  words,  hoping  he  would  be 
<*  faithful  unto  death,  like  his  old  master  Swartz.  The  wo- 
«  men  and  aged  men  crowded  round  and  shed  tears.  The 
<«  whole  multitude  came  after  the  sermon  to  Mr.  Kolhoff's 
"house  and  garden.  The  catechists  and  aged  Christians 
"  came  into  the  Verandahs,  and  while  Mr.  Kolhoff  and  my- 
«  self  were  engaged  up  stairs.  Dr.  John  addressed  them  in 
«« an  affectionate  and  impressive  manner. 

«  Mr.  Kolhoff  had  been  praying  that  there  might  be  an 
*«  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  in  these  days  at  Tanjore,  and  cir- 
«« cumstances  made  him  believe  that  it  was  coming.  His 
« success  is  indeed  great.  The  congregation  is  doubled 
*<  since  Mr.  Swartz's  death. 

a  Referring  to  an  interesting  custom,  which  Dr.  Buclianan  has  fully  detailed  in 
his  Christian  Researches,  p.  40.  Phil.  Ed, 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  ggg 

*^  Not  wishing  to  leave  this  people  without  some  mark  of 
*'  my  regard,  I  liave  given  Mr.  Kolhoff  fifty  pounds  sterling 
"  as  a  <  donation  to  the  native  catechists  of  the  Protestant 
"  mission,'  to  be  distributed  according  to  Mr.  K's  pleasure. 

"  The  Resident  requested  that  I  would  dine  with  him  on 
•<  Monday  evening,  and  invited  all  the  missionaries  to  meet 
"  me. 

<«  Mr.  KolhofF  has  presented  me  with  a  gold  and  agate 
*«  snuff-box,  which  belonged  to  the  late  Rev.  Mr.  Swartz  ; 
*^  and  the  mission  here  has  given  me  from  the  library  a  Hc- 
"  brew  Psalter,  which  he  constantly  used;  and  also  his 
•*  Greek  Testament.     You  shall  have  the  latter  if  you  like. 

«  I  proceed  to-morrow  to  Tritchinopoly  to  Mr.  Pohle,  an 
*<  aged  missionary,  and  a  good  Hebrew  and  Syriac  scholar. 
*«  I  procured  here  a  beautiful  gilt  Syriac  Testament,  and 
*'  some  tracts  in  Syriac,  translated  from  the  German  by  Mr. 
<^  Swartz.  There  is  in  the  library  a  copy  of  Schultz's  Hin- 
**dostanee  grammar,  published  at  Halle,  in  17i5.  Nor  is 
*<  that  the  first;  for  Schultz  mentions  one  printed  some  years 
"  before  by  the  Dutch  ambassador  at  Agra,  Joliannes  Josua 
"  Ketelaer;  and  edited  by  David  Millius  at  Utrecht. 

<«  I  am  now  going  to  inspect  Mr.  Swartz's  correspond- 
•<  ence,  which  fills  two  boxes.  He  kept  the  letters  of  his 
<^  friends,  and  destroyed  his  own.  I  could  stay  a  month  at 
"  Tanjore,  but  I  must  be  gone.  No  fear  of  Vellore  Brah- 
«*  mins  or  Mussulmans  in  this  land.  The  Christians  form  a 
<*  firm  phalanx  around  me.  But  if  I  should  not  be  permit- 
*«  ted  to  proceed  farther,  I  may  be  thankful  that  something 
•'«  is  done  here. 

**  Tell  H.  that  I  have  seen  many  wonderful  things  of  late, 
<'  but  that  I  cease  to  wonder  at  any  thing ;  and  that  I  should 
»«  be  glad  to  have  her,  or  some  other  little  girl  like  Augusta, 
•*  along  with  me,  that  I  might  enjoy  the  pleasure  of  seeing 
"  her  astonished  now  and  then. 

^«  The  interesting  scenes  of  the  Christian  missions  have 
*<  lately  obliterated  from  my  mind  the  poor  Syrians  and 
<*  Jews,  although  I  am  just  on  their  borders;  and  being  on 
<«  the  borders,   I  can  get  no  information  about  them  from 


300  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  any  European.    Every  body  refers  me  to  Colonel  Ma- 
**  caulay. 

**  Mr.  Pohle  told  me,  that  a  Romisli  priest,  who  was  lately 
"  in  the  vicinity  of  Tritchinopoly,  preached  the  atonement 
«  with  great  clearness  and  force,  to  the  astonishment  of  the 
<*  people ;  and  that  he  had  been  removed  by  his  superiors 
"  in  consequence.  I  shall  endeavour  to  find  him  out.  If  I 
"could  make  a  confidant  of  a  Jesuit,  he  would  be  an  admi- 
•<  rable  companion  in  my  tour. 

<•  I  have  just  read  the  orders  of  the  Madras  government 
<<  passed  last  year,  excluding  the  French  and  Italian  Jesuits 
"  from  ecclesiastical  authority  in  the  Deccan,  and  granting 
"  the  whole  to  the  Archbishop  of  Goa,  and  his  ignorant  na- 
«^  tive  priests.  This  circumstance  renders  my  approaches  to 
<«the  Jesuits  more  facile.  I  must  look  into  Goa.  I  have 
<^  read  in  French,  since  I  left  Pondicherry,  La  Croze's 
«  Christianity  in  India,  a  most  admirable  classical  work. 
"  His  chief  subject  is  the  inquisition  at  Goa,  and  the  Syrian 
"  Christians  ;  and  his  last  pages  are  devoted  to  Ziegenbalg. 
«f  He  expresses  a  hope  that  some  persons  will  be  sent  from 
«  Europe  on  an  embassy  to  the  Syrian  Christians,  to  inquire 
<<  concerning  their  state,  learning,  and  religion,  after  so 
<<  long  an  interval. 

«  Joachim  at  Aughoor  told  me  I  should  find  them  in  five 
"  days  march  through  the  woods  from  Travancore  palace  ; 
<«he  called  them  schismatiques,  whom  no  European  or  Rot 
"  mish  priest  had  ever  visited." 

During  his  stay  at  Tanjore,  Dr.  Buchanan  wrote  at  con- 
siderable length  to  his  venerable  friend  Mr.  Newton.  His 
letter  contained  a  sketch  of  his  journey  up  to  that  time, 
with  a  full  account  of  the  gratifying  scenes  which  he  had 
lately  witnessed  among  the  Christians  in  that  quarter.  The 
publicity  which  has  been  already  given  to  this  narrative 
renders  the  repetition  of  it  in  these  Memoirs  superfluous. 
Two  circumstances  only  hitlierto  unnoticed  may  be  mention- 
ed as  occurring  in  the  letter  to  Mr.  Newton.  One  is,  that 
Dr.  Buchanan,  having  heard  much  of  the  sculptures  at  Vel- 
iorc,  had  intended  to  have  been  there  on  the   8th  of  July, 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  301 

which  was  two  days  before  the  dreadful  massacre  took  place. 
"But  the  Providence  of  God,"  he  adds,  *<  retarded  my 
(*  steps.  I  was  visited  by  a  fever,  which  confined  me  for 
<^  some  time  at  a  caravansera."  This  temporary  detention 
was  probably  the  means  of  preserving  his  life  ! 

The  other  additional  circumstance  relates  to  the  newly 
converted  Christians;  "some  of  whom,"  observes  Dr.  Bu- 
chanan, "  have  suffered  persecution.  This  has,  however, 
"  been  so  far  useful,  that  it  shews  the  serious  change  of  mind 
<«  in  the  Hindoo  who  can  bear  it.  For  it  is  often  alleged  in 
*»  India,  that  the  Hindoo  can  never  be  so  much  attached  to 
'<  Christ,  as  the  Brahmin  to  his  idol."  The  constancy  of 
the  native  Christians  in  any  instances  of  persecution  for 
the  faith  is  therefore  a  sufficient  refutation  of  this  cal- 
umny. 

On  the  same  day  on  which  Dr.  Buchanan  addressed  Mr. 
Newton  at  such  length,  and  on  so  many  important  topics, 
he  wrote  a  short  letter  to  his  two  little  girls,  then  only  four 
and  five  years  old,  the  affectionate  simplicity  of  which  will 
render  it  interesting,  at  least  to  parental  readers. 

"  Tanjore,  in  India,  1st.  Sept  1806. 

<«  My  dearest  little  girls,  Charlotte 
"  and  Augusta, 

"  I  hope  you  are  very  well.  Whenever  you  can  both  read 
*'  the  Bible,  let  me  know,  and  I  shall  go  home.  I  want 
"  little  girls  who  can  say  to  papa  at  breakfast,  *  Papa,  we 
"  will  read  the  newspapers  to  you  while  you  take  tea.'  I 
"  want  little  girls  who  can  read  when  papa  writes  to  them 
"  so  ;a  and  who  do  not  oblige  him  to  draw  little  letters  till 
*<  his  fingers  ache. 

"  I  am  happy,  my  dear  children,  to  hear  so  good  an  ac- 
*<  count  of  you.  Be  very  good,  and  I  sliall  come  to  you 
"  soon. 

*<  I  saw  the  two  little  daughters  of  the  King  of  Tanjore 
«  to-day.     They  are  covered  with  pearls  and  diamonds;  but 

a  This  refers  to  the  first  six  lines  of  his  letter,  which  Dr.  Buchanan  had  taken  ths 
pains  to  write,  or,  to  express  it  more  plainly,  to  print  in  Roman  ch.aravters* 


30S  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  their  skins  are  black ;  and  they  cannot  read  one  word, 
*«  althougli  they  are  about  eight  years  of  age.  Therefore 
"  my  own  two  little  girls  are  more  dear  to  their  affectionate 
<'  father  than  the  princesses  of  Tanjore. 

«'  C.  Buchanan." 

On  the  4th  of  September,  Dr.  Buchanan  addressed  the 
following  letter  to  Mr.  Henry  Thornton,  which  is  particu- 
larly valuable  from  the  contemporaneous  and  almost  local 
testimony  which  it  contains  respecting  the  cause  of  the  un- 
happy massacre  at  Vellore,  which  was  afterwards  so  invidi- 
ously brought  forward  to  injure  the  interests  of  Christianity 
in  India. 

"  Serlngham  Pagoda,  near  Tritchinopoly, 
«  4th  Sept.  1806. 

"  Dear  Sir, 

«  I  had  the  pleasure  of  receiving  at  this  place  your  letter 
*f  of  the  16th  February  1806.  I  am  concerned  to  hear  of 
"your  frequent  indisposition.  You  mention  particularly 
•«  that  sedentary  employment  is  inconvenient  to  you ;  and 
<*  you  notice  this  as  a  cause  of  your  not  writing  to  me.  I 
«  do  not  expect  that  you  should  write,  as  you  may  perceive 
*^  by  my  never  entering  fully  into  any  particular  subject. 
"  You  have  other  and  more  important  avocations  to  em- 
«^  ploy  your  pen,  when  you  are  able  to  sit  down.  I  write  to 
•<  you  sometimes,  because  I  feel  it  natural  that  I  should  in- 
••  form  you  from  year  to  year  that  I  am  alive. 

<<  In  mentioning  Mrs.  Buchanan's  happy  death,  you  ex- 
«  press  a  hope,  that  my  last  end  may  be  like  hers.  And 
"  what  can  I  better  wish  for  you,  than  that  when  your  hour 
*«  Cometh,  yo  may  die  like  your  father,  blessing  your  chil- 
•«  dren  ? 

<*  It  is  now  four  months  since  I  left  Calcutta,  having  trav- 
<«  elled  by  land  all  the  way,  looking  into  Hindoo  supersti- 
^<  tions,  and  English  manners  in  India.  The  officers  of 
•<  government,  civil  and  military,  English  and  native,  have 
"  every  where  shewn  me  civilities,  and  aided  my  inquiries; 
•<  and  every  where  there  have  been  many  and  serious  sub- 
*<jects  of  inquiry. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  303 

^«  At  most  of  the  stations  between  Calcutta  and  Madras 
"  there  is  an  evident  disposition  to  favour  the  establishment 
"  of  a  Christian  ministry.  But  they  have  no  clergy  of  any 
*'  kind.  Two  Presbyterian  ministers  arrived  at  Visagapa- 
**  tarn  last  year,  and  the  inhabitants  have  now  built  a  house 
"  for  them.  They  insisted  on  their  reading  the  Episcopal 
"  Liturgy  ;  which  they  had  the  good  sense  to  do ;  and  in  re- 
*«  turn  they  are  allowed  to  preach  an  extempore  sermon. 

<*  At  Cuttack,  Balasore,  Juggernaut,  Ganjam,  Rajahmun- 
"  dry,  Nellore,  and  the  intervening  stations,  there  is  <  total 
'« eclipse.'  And  yet  in  all  these  places  the  residents  would 
'^  probably  support  a  minister,  if  he  were  on  the  spot.  <  We 
*f  are  indeed  very  bad,'  they  say  ;  '  but  if  we  had  some  en- 
*«  couragement,  we  should  be  better.' 

"  Lord  W.  Bentinck  desired  I  would  report  my  opinion  on 
*«  the  best  mode  of  ameliorating  the  state  of  the  newly  con- 
^<  verted,  in  my  progress  through  the  Deccan.  And  indeed 
« their  state  demands  the  attention  of  government ;  for  I 
<«  find  that  the  Company's  servants  in  some  districts  consider 
^^  the  Christian  as  the  lowest  cast. 

^*  The  success  of  the  Protestant  mission  during  the  last 
^«  century  has  been  very  great.  Something  more  perhaps 
<*  will  be  done  during  the  present.  The  Jesuits  have  hewed 
*<  wood  and  drawn  water  for  us.  I  am  as  yet  on  good  terms 
^<  with  them  ^  and  their  information  is  generally  more  impor- 
"  tant  than  that  of  the  Protestant  missionaries.  Schisms 
<<  and  dissentions  at  present  disturb  both  Protestants  and 
"  Catholics. 

^«  A  rumour  has  for  some  months  pervaded  India,  that  all 
"  casts  are  to  be  made  Christians.  I  know  the  alleged  causes 
<^  of  the  rumour,  but  I  consider  them  as  inadequate  to  pro- 
<«  duce  the  present  effect,  without  a  concurring  Providence. 
<^  This  strange  rumour  of  conversion  is  perhaps  auspicious 
«  to  the  event  itself;  as  the  shaking  of  an  old  building  an- 
*^  nounces  its  approaching  fall. 

**  It  was  attempted  to  be  shewn,  that  the  massacre  at  Vel- 
« lore,  which  happened  when  I  was  in  the  neighbourhood, 
"  was  in  some  measure  caused  bv  this  rumour.     But  it  has 


304  MEMOIRS  OF 

«  been  proved  by  the  evidence  of  the  conspirators,  that  tlie 
"  design  of  resuming  the  Mohammedan  dynasty  in  Mysore 
'^  was  planned  by  the  princes  immediately  on  their  hearing 
<' the  joyful  news  that  the  Tiger  Wellesley,  as  they  styled 
'<  him,  had  been  recalled  from  India. 

^*  I  have  been  just  conversing  with  the  Brahmins  of  this 
<«  celebrated  Pagoda,  (which,  according  to  Orme,  once  main- 
^^  tained  40,000,)  and  they  have  been  inquiring  about  Buo- 
"  naparte.  They  have  heard  that  on  his  arrival  they  are 
"  all  to  be  made  Christians. 

'^  I  remain, 
"  Dear  Sir, 

"  Very  sincerely  yours, 

"  C.  Buchanan." 

<^  P.  S.  I   have  just  measured  the  length  of  the  granite 

^«  stones  of  the  Pagoda  gate,  which  Orme  says  are  five  feet 

*^  square,  and  thirty-three  in  length.     But  they  are  exactly 

*«  forty-one  in  length." 

The  next  letter  of  Dr.  Buchanan  is  addressed  to  Mr. 
Grant,  and  is  chiefly  occupied  with  the  state  of  the  missions 
supported  by  the  Society  for  promoting  Christian  Know- 
ledge. The  testimony  at  the  close  to  the  character  of  the 
native  Christians,  when  compared  with  that  of  the  unconver- 
ted Hindoo,  is  particularly  gratifying. 

"Madura,  14th  Sept.  ISOo. 

«  Dear  Sir, 

<<  I  was  lately  favoured  with  a  letter  from  Mr.  Thornton, 
« in  whicli  he  mentions  that  you  were  yet  well,  and  actively 
<^  engaged  in  useful  labours. 

"  Having  been  for  upwards  of  four  months  past  travelling 
^<  in  the  interior  of  the  country,  I  have  heard  but  little  ofpub- 
^«  lie  affairs,  and  I  do  not  desire  at  present  to  think  of  them. 
^<  In  consequence  of  my  uncertain  route,  I  am  cut  off  from 
"all  correspondence,  except  that  of  the  stations  through 
«*  which  I  have  passed.  This  correspondence  however  is 
«  very  interesting,  as  it  usually  refers  to  the  suppression  of 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  305 

'^  idolatry,  and  the  promotion  of  the  knowledge  of  the  only 
««truc  God. 

"  As  I  suppose  you  are  still  connected  with  the  Society 
'^  for  promoting  Christian  Knowledge,  1  shall  notice  some 
^*  particulars  of  their  missions  in  these  parts.  1  have  now 
«<  visited  all  the  stations,  and  conversed  with  all  the  mis- 
**  sionaries.  At  Tanjore  I  sat  in  conclave  with  three  of  them 
"  on  tlie  subject  of  the  general  mission,  when  they  proposed 
"that  I  should  make  a  report  to  the  Society  of  their  present 
«  state.  But  this  will  not  be  necessary  till  I  know  what  the 
*»  Society  has  the  power  to  do. 

"  I  did  not  observe  that  the  Gospel  flourished  any  where 
*^ but  in  Tanjore.  In  Tranquebar  a  holy  remnant  is  left; 
"perhaps  also  at  Madras;  but  I  heard  not  of  many  recent 
"conversions.  But  from  Tanjore  streams  will  probably 
"  flow,  like  its  own  fertilizing  rivers,  throughout  the  neigh- 
"  bouring  lands. 

"  Of  all  the  missionaries,  Mr.  Kolhoff"  at  Tanjore  is  the 
"  first  and  best ;  a  man  of  meek  spirit,  but  of  ardent  faith, 
"  and  a  worthy  successor  of  the  illustrious  Swartz. 

"  Mr.  Horst  and  Mr.  Shveiffvogel  appear  to  be  zealous 
"  men,  pure  in  their  life  and  doctrine. 

"  Messrs.  Pohle,  John,  and  Rottler  are  now  old  men,  and 
"  incapable  of  labour  in  the  proper  duties  of  the  mission. 
"  Dr.  John,  and  Dr.  Rottler  are  conversant  in  natural 
"history,  which  is  often  fascinating  enough  to  become  a 
"Study.    Dr.  Rottler  is  an  amiable  man,  but  seems  to  want 

"  energy. 

"  Mr.  Pohle  at  Tritchinopoly,  the  senior  missionary,  is  a 
"learned  man,  but  now  stricken  in  years.  He  devotes 
"  himself  chiefly  to  the  English  Church  at  Tritchinopoly, 
<*  which  of  itself  demands  the  whole  labours  of  one  mm- 

"  ister. 

ii  Three  men  of  learning  and  piety  are  wanted  to  fill  up 
"the  places  of  Swartz,  Josnicke,  and  Gericke.  But  it  seems 
«  that  such  are  not  now  to  be  found  in  Germany. 

"  There  is  a  great  cry  for  Bibles  throughout  the  Tamul 
"  land.     The  poor  funds  of  the  mission  here  cannot  supply 

Q  % 


S06  MEMOIRS  OF 

*^  them.  I  have  visited  several  Christian  villages  where  there 
"  were  but  two  Bible-houses.  Mr.  Kolhoff  wishes  this  to 
**  be  immediately  represented.  As  the  Tamul  version  is  now 
"  finally  settled,  (like  the  English,)  the  society  might  print 
"  the  Bibles  at  home,  and  send  out  twenty  thousand  copies 
"  every  year'*. 

«<  I  have  conversed  with  many  Hindoos  of  the  Brahmin 
"  and  other  casts,  who  appear  to  be  true  members  of  Christ's 
"  body.  I  have  seen  in  the  feeble-minded  native  of  Hindos- 
**  tan,  truth,  generosity,  a  spirit  without  guile,  ardent  zeal 
"  for  the  faith,  and  a  love  for  those  who  love  the  Lord  Jesus 
*<  Christ  in  sincerity.  I  am  satisfied  that  our  Saviour  hath 
<«  a  church  here;  and  tiiat  in  process  of  time  all  casts  will 
<«  come  into  it. 

••  I  remain, 

♦*  Dear  Sir, 

•^  Very  sincerely  yours, 
*<  C.  Buchanan." 

On  the  20th  of  September,  Dr.  Buchanan  again  writes  to 
Mr.  Brown  from  Ramnad  pooram,  as  follows. 

« In  the  province  of  Madura  tlie  Romish  churches  are 
<^  frequent.  At  Aour,  or  properly  Aughoor,  near  Tritchino- 
<<  poly,  is  a  church  where  the  priest  reads  the  Syrian  mass 
"  instead  of  the  Latin,  which  he  does  not  understand.  Nor 
"  do  his  people  understand  the  Syrian ;  for  to  them  he 
<*  preaches  in  Tamul.  He  gave  me  a  Syrian  letter  to  his 
<*  brethren  at  Cranganore.  At  this  church  there  is  an  union 
^<  of  Romish  ceremonies  and  Pagan  superstitions.  They 
*<  have  their  Rutt  Jattra.  I  examined  the  Rlitt,  which  is 
"  built  in  the  usual  manner  with  three  cables  to  pull  it.  Only 
"  that,  instead  of  the  Hindoo  devices,  it  has  hell  and  tlie  de- 
^'  vils  on  the  lower  part,  heaven  and  the  blessed  in  the  high- 

a  Nothing  effectual  appears  to  have  been  done  towards  supplying  this  pressing 
demand  for  Bibles  till  the  year  1810,  wlien  Mr.  IJrown  preached  a  sermon  at  Cal- 
cutta upon  the  subject;  and  a  subscription  of  one  thousand  pounds  was  in  conse- 
quence raised  towards  the  purchase  of  copies  of  tlie  Tamul  Scriptures,  and  the 
encouragement  of  a  new  edition.     See  Christian  Researches,  p.  47.  Phil.  ed. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  307 

•^er,  and  above  all,  the  Pope  and  the  Cardinals.  The 
•«  priest,  my  friend  Joachim,  is  so  ignorant,  that  he  did  not 
•^  seem  conscious  of  any  impropriety  in  having  the  Rutt.  1 
"  asked  him  how  many  thousands  of  Christians  attended  the 
•'festival:  he  said,  generally  about  ten  thousand;  which 
*•  number  corresponds  with  the  report  of  the  collector  of  tiie 
*<  district. 

"  The  English  here  know  little  of  these  matters.  Mr.  C. 
"  a  Judge  of  circuit,  told  me  lie  would  proceed  immediately 
"  to  Auglioor  to  see  tliis  sight.  I  told  him  he  might  see  it  in 
•*  many  other  places. 

*i  I  passed  ihree  days  among  the  ruins  and  antiquities  of 
•*  Madura.     This  is  a  fine  station  for  the  Gospel. 

"  I  proceed  from  this  place  to  the  Juggernaut  of  the  south, 
•«  Ramisseram.  There  Mussulmans  and  Hindoos  have  con- 
••  secrated  the  names  of  Adam  and  Abel." 

An  interval  nearly  of  a  month  occurred  between  the  date 
of  the  preceding  lettei%  and  that  of  Dr.  Buchanan's  next 
communication  to  the  same  friend  and  correspondent;  du- 
ring which  he  had  visited  the  island  of  Ramisseram,  and 
from  thence  had  crossed  to  Ceylon.  Of  his  visit  to  the  lat- 
ter island,  both  at  this  time  and  again  about  eighteen  months 
afterwards,  Dr.  Buchanan  gave  some  account  to  the  public 
in  his  Christian  Researches;  but  of  Ramisseram,  as  well  as 
Ceylon,  it  may  not  be  uninteresting  to  add  the  following  par- 
ticulars. 

"  Borders  of  Travancore,  18th  Oct.  1806. 

"  The  Ranny  of  Ramnad  gave  me  a  letter  to  the  Panda- 
•«  rum  or  chief  priest  of  the  Pagoda  of  Ramisseram,  desiring 
*<  that  he  would  give  me  a  catalogue  of  the  Shanscrit  books 
*<  preserved  in  the  temple  from  time  immemorial.  The  Ran- 
"  ny  is  the  patroness  (by  hereditary  right)  of  the  temple. 
«  When  I  delivered  the  letter,  the  Pandarum  informed  the 
«  priests  of  its  ccmtents.  They  observed,  that  no  catalogue 
<«  had  ever  been  given  before.  Tlie  Pandarum  said  he  would 
<«  give  me  an  answer  next  day.  In  the  mean  time  1  paid 
•*  him  a  visit  of  ceremony,  and  presented  a  nnzzur.     The 


308  MEMOIRS  OF 

^^  next  day  he  sent  to  acquaint  me  that  tlie  catalogue  was 
"  preparing,  and  would  be  ready  for  delivery  in  the  evening; 
"  when  I  was  requested  to  proceed  to  the  Pandarum's  house. 
<^  At  five  o'clock  he  came  himself  to  accompany  me,  attended 
*<  by  his  elephants  and  music,  and  the  whole  band  of  priests. 
*«  In  this  procession  I  moved  round  the  temple  to  the  Panda- 
<<  rum's  house,  where  all  the  books  were  exhibited  in  order. 
"They  are  all  written  on  oUas;  and  had  generally  the  as- 
«  pect  of  antiquity. 

<'  The  Pandarum  then  presented  the  catalogue  written  on 
"  four  ollas.  It  contains  ninety-six  Shanscrit  volumes,  and 
'« seventy-two  Tamul. 

<«  It  was  Mr.  E.  who  suggested  to  me  the  attempt  to  pro- 
"  cure  this  catalogue. 

"  Ramisseram,  or  rather  Ramacoil,  or  Ramacovel,  that  is, 
*«  Rama's  temple,  is  a  noble  building.  The  aisles,  or  porti- 
*«cos  of  majestic  height,  are  about  six  hundred  feet  long. 
♦^  No  abbey  or  cathedral  in  Europe  is  of  such  magnitude. 
<*  Like  the  other  temples  in  the  Deccan,  its  revenues  are 
«  wasting  away.  But  Juggernaut  will  fall,  I  think,  before 
"  Ramacoil.  I  saw  no  human  bone  in  the  island  of  Ramis- 
^*  seram.  Christianity  in  its  worst  shape  has  civilized  the 
<<  Deccan.  All  descriptions  of  people  are  more  humane  and 
«'  intelligent  than  the  Hindoos  of  Bengal. 

"The  Pandarum  presented  to  me  a  fine  shawl,  (the  Ran- 
"  ny  gave  me  two,)  and  then  procured  a  donie  to  carry  me  to 
«  Jaffnapatam.  The  wind  was  fair,  and  I  was  only  one  day 
"  on  the  deep.  I  had  letters  to  Mr.  T.  the  civil  magistrate 
"  of  Jaffna.  I  slept  the  first  night  on  the  island  of  Leyden, 
«  at  the  house  of  Mr.  T.  the  custom  master.  Next  morning 
"  he  shewed  me  three  Roman  Catholic  churches  lately  built, 
<^  and  assured  me  that  every  person  on  the  island  was  a 
"  Christian.  I  passed  through  a  bazar,  and  spoke  to  some 
"  Christian  women  selling  turtle,  which  they  cut  in  pieces  to 
*«  make  curry.  They  were  not  so  intelligent  as  Mr.  Kol- 
«  hoff's  Christians. 

"  I  next  day  visited  the  chief  Romish  Church  in  Jaffna 
"  town ;  built  by  Padre  Leonardo,  who  now  presides  in  the 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  309 

« island.  This  church  is  the  largest  structure  of  slight 
«  building  which  I  ever  saw.  Every  Sunday  about  a  thou- 
"  sand  or  twelve  hundred  people  attend,  and  on  feast  days 
"  three  thousand  and  upwards.  Leonardo  introduced  me  to 
<«  four  of  his  brethren,  who  all  conversed  very  fluently  in 
"  Latin.  There  are  five  priests  in  Jaffna,  and  ten  in  Ceylon. 
<'  They  are  all  of  the  same  order,  St.  Philip  Nerius ;  and  no 
<*  priest  of  any  other  order  is  ever  admitted  to  the  island. 

"  I  passed  half  a  day  with  Dr.  S.  mentioned  by  Thun- 
"  berg.  Dr.  S.  was  at  Japan,  and  brought  from  thence  a 
^«  valuable  collection  of  Japanese  books  in  print.  They  are 
«  chiefly  on  subjects  of  natural  history,  having  drawings  of 
<•  animals.  He  has  a  very  extensive  museum  of  oriental 
"  curiosities.  I  went  patiently  through  his  library,  and  found 
"  some  information  I  wanted. 

"Among  the  Dutch  ladies  are  some  examples  of  serious 
<«  religion.  Mrs.  M.  is  a  pious  woman.  She  could  not  speak 
«  English ;  but  she  produced  a  quarto  Dutch  Bible  well 
<*worn,  and  we  conversed  with  each  other  in  texts. 

"  The  chief  justice  spoke  respectfully  of  Mr.  Palm,  and  so 
"  did  the  other  gentlemen  at  Jaffna.  They  wished  me  to  go 
<*  to  Columbo,  and  report  to  the  Governor :  he  has  himself 
<^  already  visited  Jaffna,  and  Dr.  S's  collection. 

"  From  Jaffnapatam  I  proceeded  by  land  to  Manaar, 
<'  through  the  woods ;  a  journey  of  three  days.  The  ele- 
*<  phants,  bears,  and  buffaloes  abound.  Every  night  two 
"  men  preceded  my  palanquin,  carrying  each  a  flaming  log 
*<  of  gum-wood,  to  frighten  the  wild  beasts.  In  the  open 
<<  spaces  in  the  woods,  I  saw  the  Ryots  guarding  their  cattle 
<<  with  gum-wood  torches.  The  cheetah  is  very  destructive 
"  here. 

<^  Governor  North  built  three  caravanseras  in  these  deso- 
<*  late  woods. 

'^  At  Manaar  I  found  Captain  B.  commandant  of  the  Fort. 
"  He  was  a  shipmate  in  the  Busb ridge.  At  his  house  I  met 
<«  Mr.  M.  son  to  the  old  lady  at  Jaffna.  He  happened  to 
•«  mention  that  he  had  Busching's  Magazine  in  German,  con- 
<«  taining  Moen's  (the  Dutch  Governor  at  Cochin)  account 


310  MEMOIRS  OF 

''  of  the  Jews  at  that  place.  This  book  is  referred  to  by 
'^  Forster,  who  writes  notes  to  Bartholomeo,  as  the  last  and 
<^  most  authentic  account. 

"  Mr.  M.  has  promised  to  translate  the  whole  into  Eng- 
"  lish,  and  send  it  to  me  in  a  fortnight. 

*<  At  Manaar  I  embarked  in  a  donie,  an  open  boat,  about 
"  the  size  of  a  burr,  for  Ramisseram.  A  storm  arose,  and  I 
<*  went  on  shore  at  a  fishing  village,  situated  near  the  north- 
"  west  extremity  of  the  island  Manaar.  They  were  all  Ro- 
<*  mish  Christians,  and  I  slept  in  their  church.  The  priest 
"  was  absent ;  and  his  catechist  had  never  heard  that  there 
«  was  such  a  book  as  the  Bible.  The  dandies  of  my  own  boat 
"  were  also  Christians,  but  had  never  heard  of  the  Bible. 
*<  They  had,  however,  a  very  good  Christian  custom.  Be- 
<^  fore  they  hoisted  the  sail,  they  all  joined  in  prayer  to  God 
<*  for  protection.  Every  man  at  his  post  with  the  rope  in  his 
*<  hands  pronounced  his  prayer. 

<<  Next  morning  I  embarked  again;  and  when  we  were 
"  nearly  out  of  sight  of  land,  the  wind  began  to  rise  again. 
"  We  could  not  gain  any  land  before  it  was  dark.  At  four 
*«  o'clock  in  the  morning  we  were  alarmed  by  the  noise  of 
<«  breakers  j  and  in  a  few  minutes  we  struck  on  Adam's 
<«  bridge.  I  had  expressed  a  wish  to  see  Adam's  bridge  ; 
*'  and  now  I  saw  it  in  a  perilous  situation.  The  boatmen 
'« leaped  out,  and  kept  the  boat's  head  to  the  sea  till  she 
"  floated,  and  then  forced  her  through  the  waves  like  a  Ma- 
«  soolah  boat. 

<*  At  day -light  I  saw  the  towers  of  Ramisseram  near  at 
^*  hand,  when  we  landed  at  Pomben,  next  the  continent. 
*^  The  boatmen  offered  up  their  Christian  thanksgiving  for 
"  their  deliverance  from  the  peril  of  the  sea.  One  of  Mr. 
"  Swartz's  catechists,  who  accompanies  me  every  where, 
*<  appeared  to  be  a  good  deal  edified  by  the  scene. 

<*  My  friends  at  Ramnad  sent  bearers  to  me  on  my  arrival 
"  at  Pomben,  and  I  was  conducted  once  more  to  Colonel  M's 
<*  hospitable  mansion. 

**  Tell  H.  that  in  the  island  of  Ramisseram  I  saw  Abel's 
»« tomb,  which  is  about  fifty  feet  long.     It  is  guarded   by  a 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  311 

«<  Mussulman,  as  I  expected  would  be  the  case.  In  Ceylon 
«  the  fable  of  Adam's  flight  from  the  island  is  very  current. 
"  The  truth  seems  to  be  this.  The  Hindoos  called  Ceylon 
"  a  paradise,  on  account  of  its  spices  and  pearls  and  pre- 
"  cious  stones.  And  the  Mussulmans  believing  it  to  be  the 
<*  Garden  of  Eden,  introduced  Adam  and  his  family  imme- 
'<  diately. 

'«  At  Ramnad-pooran  there  is  a  good  Protestant  church 
*^  and  parsonage-house  of  stone,  built  by  Colonel  M.  and  the 
"  Company  about  eight  years  ago.  But  they  have  no  min- 
«  ister,  and  long  much  for  a  visit  from  some  missionary. 

"  From  Ramnad  I  proceeded  to  Tutycorin,  where  there  is 
"  a  rich  Romish  church,  and  a  Dutch  Protestant  church. 

^«  At  this  place  there  is  a  tribe  of  Hindoos  called  Parra- 
"  wars,  (not  Pariahs,)  whose  chief  is  called  Prince  of  the 
*<  Parrawars.  The  whole  of  this  tribe,  without  exception, 
"  are  Christians  in  the  Romish  communion.  The  wealth 
"  and  dignity  of  the  prince  support  the  church,  and  exhibit 
<«  more  magnificence  than  is  now  generally  to  be  found  in 
*<  the  Romish  churches, 

*«  The  Rutt  is  attached  to  this  church,  as  at  Aughoor. 
"  The  priest  told  me  he  walked  before  it  in  procession.  In 
"  the  Hindoo  temples  it  is  usual  to  ring  bells  and  strike 
*^  gongs  the  moment  the  idol  is  unveiled.  In  analogy  to 
"  this,  bells  are  rung  and  drums  beat  at  Tutycorin  when  the 
a  Virgin  Mary  is  unveiled.  There  are  three  bells  within 
**  the  church  of  large  size,  which  have  a  terrible  effect  on 
"  the  auditory  nerves.  I  requested  the  priest  to  undraw  the 
"  curtain  before  the  Virgin,  that  I  might  see  the  golden 
«'  image  :  but  I  was  not  apprized  of  the  thunder  that  was  to 
*<  accompany  the  exhibition. 

"  I  visited  the  prince^in  form,  and  inquired  into  the  mo- 
*^ral  state  of  h'\^  subjects.  He  was  denominated  by  the 
<•  Dutch  the  Prince  of  the  Seven  Havens.  The  D'ltch  Min- 
«  ivster  shewed  me  his  library,  in  which  I  was  happy  to  find 
«  Fabricius's  Lux  Evangelii,  in  quarto.  I  went  from  Tuty- 
«  corin  to  Tinavelly  in  my  palanquin,  without  taking  my 
*<  eyes  off*  this  book. 


gl^  MEMOIRS  OF 

<'  Here  is  a  pearl  fishery.  I  saw  the  shells  in  heaps  at 
**  the  place  where  they  are  opened,  and  Mr.  M.  the  Dutch 
"  merchant  at  whose  house  I  lodged,  made  me  a  present  of 
"  a  large  pearl,  about  the  size  of  a  pistol  bullet,  but  of  little 
<*  value  from  its  being  clouded  in  various  places. 

"  At  Tinavelly  I  was  hospitably  received  by  the  Judge, 
<*  the  Collector,  and  the  Register.  In  Palamcotta  Fort, 
<*  which  is  close  to  Tinavelly,  there  is  a  Protestant  church 
«<  and  parsonage-house.  The  Christians  in  the  district  are 
"  numerous,  and  have  suffered  some  persecution.  Mr.  Kol- 
"  huff  wished  me  to  represent  the  subject  to  the  Judge  and 
*«  Collector,  who  have  assured  me  that  they  will  afford  them 
<«  every  protection  and  encouragement  in  their  power. 

<'  Tell  H.  that  I  write  this  at  the  bottom  of  the  lofty  moun- 
^'  tain,  called  Cape  Comorin,  whose  rocky  head  seems  to 
<<  overhang  its  base.  The  birds  which  build  the  pendulous 
<*  nests  are  here  numerous.  At  night  each  of  their  little  ha- 
"  bitations  is  lighted  up,  as  if  to  see  company.  The  saga- 
"  cious  little  bird  fastens  a  bit  of  clay  to  the  top  of  the  nest, 
*^  and  then  picks  up  a  fire-fly,  and  sticks  it  on  the  clay  to  il- 
<Muminate  the  dwelling,  which  consists  of  two  rooms. 
*^  Sometimes  there  are  tliree  or  four  fire-flies,  and  their 
"  blaze  of  light  in  the  little  cell  dazzles  the  eyes  of  the  bats, 
"  which  often  kill  the  young  of  these  birds. 

<«  I  did  not  pass  through  Cape  Comorin  gate  in  entering 
"  Travancore,  but  tlirough  a  gate  some  miles  northward, 
"  called  Arampalli  gate.  The  mountain  called  by  sailors 
"  the  Cape  is  again  to  the  north  of  this.  Arampalli  is 
<^  thought  to  be  the  Arguropolis  of  the  Greeks.  Here  there 
^<  is  a  fortified  pass,  and  lines  of  two  miles  in  length,  compo- 
«  sed  of  stone  walls  and  towers.  The  guard  received  mc 
"  with  frowning  looks.  I  liad  unfortunately  not  yet  recei- 
"  ved  my  passport  from  Colonel  Macaulay.  I  did  not  know, 
"  therefore,  how  I  should  be  received  at  the  gate.  But 
«  when  I  was  approaching  it,  I  sent  some  of  the  armed 
<^  peons  who  accompanied  me,  to  inform  the  commandant 
*«  that  I  expected  he  would  be  ready  to  receive  me  at  the^ 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  313 

*<  gate,  and  to  afford  me  an  escort  to  the  Rajah's  presence. 
*<  And  thus  I  passed  without  opposition. 

"  Next  day  I  arrived  at  Cottate,  the  Cottonia  (hence  tlie 
<*  word  cotton)  of  the  ancients.  It  is  still  a  flourishing  place. 
*«  The  day  after  I  came  to  Padmanburam,  a  fort  and  resi- 
*«  dence  of  the  King,  where  his  principal  arsenal  is  estab- 
"  lished. 

"  From  Padmanburam  to  Trivandram  is  a  road  shaded  by 
<*  lofty  trees,  called  the  King's  Road,  whereon  Brahmins 
"  and  Nayrs  alone  are  suffered  to  walk.  The  lower  casts 
"  do,  however,  walk  on  it;  but  if  they  meet  a  Brahmin,  they 
<*  immediately  leave  it,  and  seek  a  path  in  the  woods.  A 
<•'  person  sometimes  precedes  the  Brahmin,  to  announce  to 
•'  passengers  that  he  is  near  at  hand." 

The  date  of  Dr.  Buchanan's  next  letter  is  on  the  27th  of 
October,  from  the  palace  of  the  Rajah  of  Travancore  at 
Trivandram. 

••  1  have  received  your  letter  of  the  27th  September,  in 
*'  which  you  answer  mine  of  the  1st  from  Tanjore. 

^»  I  have  not  seen  Geddes,  but  I  am  accustomed  to  read 
"  quotations  from  him.  I  shall  endeavour  to  preserve  some 
**  Syrian  and  Jewish  relics  for  you. 

•*  On  my  arrival  here,  I  found  that  Colonel  Macaulay  was 
*<  a  hundred  miles  off,  at  Cochin.  But  I  received  a  letter 
<*  from  him,  tendering  his  services  in  whatever  way  I  wish- 
"  ed  to  command  them. 

•<  I  immediately  informed  his  Excellency  the  Minister 
«<  (a  noble  Nayr  of  able  and  liberal  mind)  that  I  wished  to 
*<  pay  my  respects  to  his  Highness  the  Rajah ;  for  so  are 
»^  these  illustrious  persons  designated  by  the  Company. 

*<  The  Rajah  sent  his  Vakeel  to  inform  me  that  he  would 
'«  receive  me  in  form  next  day.  In  the  mean  time  he  gave 
if  orders  for  my  accommodation  and  table.  The  Rajah's 
*f  servants  accordingly  came  the  next  day  to  escort  me  to 
«  the  gate  of  the  fort  in  which  he  resides.  The  military 
*•  were  drawn  out,  and  I  was  received  on  the  steps  of  the 

r2 


314  MEMOIRS  OF 

**  palace  by  the  Minister  and  Secretary,  who  contl noted  me 
*•  to  tlie  Rajah's  apartment.  He  was  more  gorgeously  dres- 
**  sed  than  the  Rajah  of  Tanjore.  He  was  twenty-live  years 
'*  old  on  the  day  I  entered  Trivandram  ;  and  of  five  subjects 
«  of  compliment  w  hich  I  had  premeditated,  this  was  one. 
^«  He  is  an  aflfable  sensible  man.  He  conversed  on  political 
"  subjects  for  about  two  hours  ;  and  w  as  extremely  desirous 
^«  to  have  my  opinion  of  tlie  chief  persons,  European  and 
"  native,  in  Hindostan.  His  grand  subject,  however,  was  to 
**  learn  the  particular  purpose  of  my  various  and  extensive 
•*  tour.  Nobody  had  been  able  to  satisfy  him  on  this  head. 
"  I  was  very  candid  with  him,  and  declared  my  objects  plain- 
•<ly.  He  appeared  to  be  a  little  thoughtful,  and  I  did  not 
"  know  what  impression  I  had  made  on  his  mind.  His 
^*  whole  court  of  Brahmins  and  Nayrs  understood  every 
«  word  that  was  said.  When  I  was  about  to  take  my  leave, 
"  he  expressed  a  hope  that  I  meant  to  stay  some  days  with 
^<  him.     I  told  him  I  should. 

**  On  that  same  day  I  sent  to  him  the  Rajah  of  Tanjore's 
♦<  list  of  books,  and  also  the  Ramisseram  catalogue.  He  read 
•<  over  both  with  great  pleasure.  I  then  requested  that  he 
»^  would  order  his  Brahmins  to  make  out  a  similar  list  of 
*«  their  ancient  books.  He  assented  immediately  ;  but  the 
*<  Brahmin's  resisted.  The  Minister  told  me  this.  I  asked 
<<  whether  the  Brahmins  governed  the  Rajah.  At  my  next 
*<  audience  the  Rajah  told  me  the  list  was  preparing. 

^<  Understanding  that  I  had  the  Rajah  of  Tanjore's  pic- 
<^ture,  he  requested  to  see  it.  He  was  so  much  pleased 
^<  with  the  beauty  of  tlic  painting,  that  he  desired  to  keep  it 
^<  for  a  day  or  two  to  shew  it  to  his  ladies.  It  was  three 
<<  days  before  I  could  get  the  Rajah  of  Tanjore  out  of  the 
^<  Zenana.     I  mean  to  tell  the  Rajah  of  Tanjore  this. 

<<  Mr.  Swartz's  catechist,  who  accompanies  me,  is  called 
^<  Pascal.  He  was  heir  to  a  person  of  property,  who  died 
**  some  years  ago  at  Trivandram.  He  proceeded  from  Tan- 
«  jore  accordingly  to  claim  his  inheritance  about  four  years 
"  ago  5  but  being  a  poor  man,  and  ill  supported,  he  was  told 
a  by  this  court  that  his  claim  was  not  just.    Mr.  Kolhoff  re- 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  Si5 

''  quested  I  would  take  Pascal  with  me,   and  represent  his 

<  case  to  the  Rajah.     I  did  so  ;  hut  having'  no  hope  of  get- 

<  ting  any  thing  for  him,  I  gave  him  an  alh)wance  as  my  in- 
^  terpreter.  On  my  second  audience,  I  represented  his 
«  case  to  the  Rajah.     The  matter  was  investigated  in  puhlic 

*  next  day  ;  and  on  the  day  foIh>wing  (to  the  astonishment  of 
«  poor  Pascal  and  all  my  servants)  tlie  Rajah  put  him  in 
«  possession  of  a  house  and  land  in  this  place,  and  granted 

<  him  the  option  of  inhahiting  it,  or  selling  it  immediately, 

*  He  also  delivered  to  Pascal  honds  amaunting  to  about  six 

*  thousand  rupees,  and  a  great  number  of  jewels.    Pascal 

<  says  he  must  build  a  church  for  all  tliis." 

Dr.  Buchanan  then  mentions  a  second  successful  applica- 
tion to  the  Rajah  in  behalf  of  a.  small  body  of  native  Christ- 
ians at  Moiladdy,  a  district  of  Travancore,  who  had  hither- 
to been  refused  permission  to  build  a  church. 

"  I  asked  the  Rajah,"  says  Dr.  Buchanan,  "whether  he 
"  had  ever  read  of  any  people  who  were  not  allowed  to  wor- 
"  ship  their  God  ?  The  Minister  was  willing.  At  last  the 
"  Rajah  told  me,  he  would  himself  soon  visit  the  district  of 
<*  Moiladdy,  and  would  then  point  out  a  proper  place  for  the 
"  church.  The  Brahmins,  I  hear,  first  opposed  the  mea- 
"  sure,  alleging  that  the  English  would  soon  have  the  coun- 
«*  try,  if  they  were  allowed  to  introduce  their  religion  into 
"it. 

"  At  my  last  audience  the  Bajah  was  very  gracious.  He 
"  presented  me  with  some  shawls ;  and  when  I  was  taking 
"  leave,  he  put  an  emerald  ring  on  my  finger.  He  at  the 
**  same  time  gave  orders,  that  two  of  his  ofhcers  (Nayrs) 
"  should  attend  me  throughout  his  dominions,  wherever  I 
"  was  ])1  eased  to  go.  This  last  favour  was  of  a  very  pecu- 
"  liar  nature,  and  altogether  unexpected." 

Dr.  Buchanan  thus  continues  his  correspondence. 

"  1st  November,  1806. 

*«  From  Trivandram  I  went  to  Poontara  on  the  sea-coast ; 
•<  and  here  I  first  saw^  a  Svrian  church  in  the  Romish  com- 


316  MEMOIRS  OF 

**  munioii.  I  mean  in  Travancore ;  for  I  before  mentioned 
"  to  you  that  I  had  visited  one  near  Tritchinopoly.  From 
*<  Poontara  to  Angengo  I  travelled  by  tlie.  sea-coast,  and  liad 
"the  pleasure  to  see  a  church  every  four  or  five  miles. 
<«  From  Cape  Comorin  to  Cochin  there  arc  about  a  hundred 
**  churclies  on  the  sea-shore  alone.  Of  these  the  chief  part 
*<  are  the  Syrian  Latin,  or  more  prcperly  tlic  Syrian  Romish 
*<  churches.  The  priest  reads  the  Syriac  Liturgy,  not  one 
*<  word  of  whicli  the  people  understand,  and  then  he  walks 
"  off;  or  he  reads  the  Latin  Liturgy,  with  which  the  poor 
"  Christians  are  equally  edified.  Some  of  them  (the  private 
"  Christians)  have,  however,  the  prayers  translated  into 
<'  Malayalim,  or  proper  Malabar.  The  churches  are  snovv- 
«  white,  and  are  generally  built  in  a  grove  of  shady  trees. 
**  Before  each,  on  the  sand  of  the  shore,  is  a  lofty  cross ; 
•*  which,  like  the  church  itself,  is  conspicuous  at  a  great  dis- 
"  tance. 

"  There  was  an  insurrection  of  the  Nayrs  in  Travancore 
<<  last  year,  against  the  Rajah  :  three  battalions  of  his  Nayr 
"  body  guards  revolted,  and  sought  to  kill  the  British  Resi- 
*<  dent,  and  the  Rajah,  and  the  present  Minister.  Colonel 
«  M.  fled  to  Cochin.  The  Rajah  called  in  the  Christian  fish- 
"  ermen  from  the  coast  to  defend  him  against  the  Nayrs. 
<«  They  assembled  at  Trivaiidram  in  immense  numbers, 
"  each  man  armed  with  a  short  bludgeon.  The  bowmen 
"  from  the  hills  appeared  at  the  same  time  in  the  Rajah's 
*<  behalf,  and  the  Nayrs  laid  down  their  arms  and  fled. 
'^  About  fifty  of  the  ringleaders  were  seized  and  hanged. 
"  The  battalions  were  broken,  and  the  Rajah  accepted  of  a 
^<  subsidiary  force  from  the  English.  Tliis  was  a  dreadful 
^•' blow  to  the  Brahmins,  whose  influence  in  Travancore  is 
<^  identified  with  that  of  the  Nayrs. 

"  At  Angengo  I  found  apartments  prepared  for  me  by  the 
<«  British  Resident,  Mr.  H.  who  is  appointed  by  the  Bombay 
<'  government.  Angengo  has  been  in  possession  of  the  Eng- 
"  lish  since  1628, 

"  At  Quilon,  Dr.  M.  nephew  to  the  Colonel,  entertained 
"  me.    The  subsidiary  force  is  at  present  encamped  here. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  317 

<'  At  this  place  I  saw  Dr.  H.  the  Hindostanee  scholar.  He 
*<  told  me,  that  though  he  had  been  many  months  here, 
<«  he  had  not  yet  met  with  any  one  who  could  give  an  ac- 
"  count  of  the  schismatic  Syrians,  as  their  churches  were  all 
«<  in  the  interior,  where  Europeans  cannot  go  without  per- 
<*  mission  from  the  Rajah." 

The  next  letter,  in  which  Dr.  Buchanan  announces  his 
approaching  departure  to  the  interior  of  Travancore,  will  be 
read  with  lively  interest  by  those  who  have  followed  him  in 
his  progress  hitherto,  and  who  are  aware  of  the  important 
result  of  his  researches. 

"  Calycoulon,  4th  November,  1806. 

^*  I  am  now  about  to  proceed  northward  and  eastward 
"  from  this  place  to  visit  the  Syrian  churches.  There  is 
•«  one  very  near  at  Mavelicar.  The  others  are  remote,  si- 
"  tuated  (according  to  Dr.  L's  account)  in  impenetrable 
"  forests,  where  jungle  fevers  and  tigers  abound. 

«  The  weather  is  dry  and  clear,  and  I  have  received  a 
"'  very  different  account  of  the  regions  I  wish  to  visit.  I 
*<  shall  however  proceed  no  farther  than  may  be  prudent.  I 
"  have  told  my  servants,  that  they  may  remain  behind  if 
«*  they  please.  But  they  choose  to  accompany  me.  The  Ra- 
*«  jail's  men  encourage  them.  The  Lord,  who  hath  gra- 
*<  ciously  led  me  from  Cambuslang  to  Calcutta,  and  from 
<«  Calcutta  to  Cape  Comorin,  will  lead  me  in  safety,  I  trust, 
"  through  the  mountains  of  Travancore.  In  many  instan- 
<^  ces  already  mountains  have  been  made  a  plain  before  me; 
*'  and  I  am  ready  to  believe  that  some  good  will  result  from 
*«  a  journey,  hitherto  so  remarkably  favoured  by  Provi- 
"  dence. 

<«  I  however  think  it  right  to  «  put  my  house  in  order'  at 
"  this  place,  and  leave  the  event  to  Him,  who  disposeth  of 
<»'  the  lives  of  his  servants  according  to  his  eternal  purpose 
<<  and  righteous  will. 

"  At  a  village  near  Calycoulon  lives  Captain  W.  an  old 
*«  officer  of  a  former  Rajah.  He  is  now  blind,  but  his  wife 
<«  reads  the  Bible  to  him.     Hearing  of  my  approach,  he  had 


318  MEMOIRS  OF 

♦*  prepared  some  questions  to  ask  mc,  wliieli  had  long  been 
**  on  Ins  mind,  relating  to  the  doctrine  of  salvation.  After 
"  supper,  he  quoted  several  passages  from  the  Epistles  to 
*«  the  Romans,  Ephesians,  and  first  of  St.  Peter ;  and  ask- 
<«  ed,  Iiow  can  these  tilings  be  ? 

^^  After  an  hour's  discourse,  the  old  man  said,  *  It  is  even 
if  so,  as  I  hoped.'     And  he  began  to  weep  aloud." 

It  was  surely  worth  a  journey  from  Calcutta  to  Travan- 
core  to  resolve  (he  doubts  and  to  shed  light  upon  the  path  of 
this  aged  Christian ! 

On  the  5th  of  December,  Dr.  Buchanan  communicated  to 
his  excellent  correspondent  in  Bengal  a  long  and  detailed 
account  of  his  visit  to  the  Syrian  churches  in  Malayala. 
As  it  has  been  already  observed  witli  respect  to  Juggernaut 
and  Ceylon,  the  narrative  in  this  letter  is  substantially  simi- 
lar to  that  which  has  been  long  since  published*,  and  exci- 
ted such  general  attention  and  interest.  It  will  not,  how- 
ever, be  deemed  unnecessary  to  give  a  sketch  of  Dr.  Bu- 
chanan's introduction  to  the  Syrian  Christians,  and  to  add  a 
few  extracts,  containing  some  circumstances  which  have  not 
yet  met  the  public  eye. 

"  Cochin,  5th  December,  1806. 

"  My  last  letter  from  Travancore  informed  you  that  I  was 
<«  about  to  leave  the  sea-coast,  and  to  proceed  into  the  interior 
*'  of  the  country  to  visit  the  ancient  Syrian  churches.  I  have 
«<  been  enabled  to  accomplish  my  purpose.  I  have  visited 
^*  the  remote  churches  situated  amongst  the  liills  at  the  bot- 
*«  torn  of  the  great  Ghauts.  The  scenery  of  tlie  country  was 
<*  every  where  delightfid  ;  the  weather  was  cool  and  plea- 
"  sant ;  and  I  have  returned  from  an  expeditiim,  which  was 
«<  represented  to  be  dangerous,  in  perfect  health. 

*<  Early  in  November  i  left  the  sea-coast,  having  first  sup- 
»<  plied  myself  witli  plenty  of  gold  and  silver.  I  directed  my 
«  course  towards  Mavelicar,  the  first  Syrian  church. 

<<  The  kasheeshas  (priests)  received  me  on  my  arrival  with 
"  much  civility,  perceiving  that  I  was  accompanied  by  the 

^  See  the  Christian  Obsei-ver,  vol.  vi.  and  Christian  Researches,  p.  C?— 79.  Phil.  Ed. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  319 

•«  Rajah's  servants.  Their  curiosity  to  know  the  object  of 
«<  my  visit  was  very  great ;  still  greater  when  I  took  up  their 
"  Syrian  books  and  began  to  read ;  and  when  I  shewed  them 
<«  my  printed  Syriac  books,  which  they  could  read.  They 
"  produced  the  Scriptures,  and  their  Liturgy  ;  also  Lexicons 
**  and  Grammars,  Syrian  and  Malayalim.  The  Malayalim, 
**  or  proper  Malabar,  is  a  dialect  distinct  from  the  Tamul; 
*«  but  the  character  is  nearly  the  same.  It  is  considered  by 
<•  the  learned  Brahmins  of  this  coast  as  the  eldest  and  legi- 
"  timate  daughter  of  the  Shanscrit. 

«  In  the  evening  the  church  was  lighted  up  for  prayers, 
*<  at  which  a  good  many  of  the  people  attended.  Nothing 
^'  objectionable  appeared  at  this  service.  The  priests  pro- 
"  nounced  the  prayers  without  book,  and  chaunted  their 
<^  hymns,  having  their  faces  turned  towards  the  altar.  They 
"  have  no  images,  but  on  the  walls  were  paintings  from  sub- 
«*  jects  of  Scripture  history. 

*<  Next  day  being  Sunday,  I  had  an  opportunity  of  see- 
«•  ing  the  whole  service,  morning  and  evening,  as  I  sat  in 
<*  the  chancel,  with  one  of  their  books  in  my  hand.  The  peo- 
<«  pic  were  very  decently  habited  and  filled  the  church. 

«•  On  Monday  morning  the  four  chief  elders  of  the  church 
<<  came  with  the  priests  to  visit  me.  I  told  them  I  knew 
«  their  history,  and  came  as  their  friend,  and  tlie  friend  of 
'•  their  religion ;  that  I  knew  they  had  been  an  oppressed 
<*  people  during  a  long  period.  To  all  this  they  listened 
<«  evidently  with  deep  thought  and  perplexity.  They  then 
<•  put  a  few  questions  to  me.  I  told  them  I  was  about  to  visit 
*^  their  remotest  congregations,  intending  to  penetrate  to 
"  Ranniel  itself. 

"Their  countenances  began  now  to  assume  great  dis- 
••  trust,  and  after  a  few  civil  sentences,  they  begged  leave 
«  to  withdraw.  I  certainly  appeared  in  a  most  questionable 
*»  shape  among  these  simple  people,  who  had  so  little  com- 
•»  merce  with  the  world.  In  the  evening  I  invited  them  to 
**  another  conference.  I  told  them  I  should  set  off  the  next 
*«  morning  for  the  mountains;  that  I  was  much  obliged  to 
*<  them  for  their  hospitable  entertainment,  and  begged  they 


3^0  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  would  accept  something  in  return.  I  gave  each  of  the 
*•  priests  some  gold,  and  some  to  the  elders  of  the  church, 
"  for  the  poor ;  and  desired  their  benediction,  that  I  might 
"  go  in  peace.  They  then  retired  with  apparent  reluctance, 
^^  looking  at  the  money  with  dubious  countenances. 

<*  I  afterwards  learnt  that  they  immediately  called  an  as- 
<<  sembly.  An  old  man  arose  and  said,  <  What  if  this  stran- 
"  ger  should  prove  to  be  a  true  Christian,  and  a  real  friend  ? 
*'  What  proof  have  we  that  he  is  our  enemy  ?  It  is  true  no 
"  European  ever  visited  us  before:  but  what  say  you  to  this 
<*  man's  knowledge  of  our  church  at  Antioch,  to  his  Syrian 
**  books,  to  his  money  ?  Besides  it  is  said  that  the  Rajah  put 
••  an  emerald  ring  on  his  finger.  If  he  do  not  intend  our  good, 
«  he  may  have  power  to  hurt  us.' 

*<  They  then  conferred  with  Mr.  Swartz's  catechist,  and 
*^  my  other  servants  of  all  casts,  concerning  my  family, 
<«  country,  profession,  my  present  journey,  where  I  had  been, 
"  and  what  I  had  been  doing,  and  what  I  intended  to  do. 

"  After  this  ordeal  I  was  permitted  to  appear  before  their 
**  tribunal  once  more.  The  old  priest  said  he  was  afraid  they 
**  had  judged  me  too  hastily;  but  that  there  were  some  cir- 
*<  cumstances  which  he  would  now  communicate  as  an  apo- 
**  logy  for  their  suspicions." 

Dr.  Buchanan  then  relates  the  account  which  the  venera- 
ble priest  gave  him  of  the  various  attempts  of  the  Roman 
Catholics  to  force  the  Syrian  churches  to  join  their  commun- 
ion, as  the  ground  of  their  suspicions  respecting  his  present 
visit,  and  the  manner  in  which  he  at  length  succeeded  in  re- 
moving their  fears  and  gaining  their  confidence. 

He  next  proposed  to  send  a  standard  translation  of  the 
Scriptures  in  Malayalim  to  each  of  their  fifty-five  churches, 
on  condition  that  each  church  should  multiply  the  copies, 
and  circulate  them  among  the  people.  To  this  they  thank- 
fully assented. 

"  One  of  the  elders  named  Thomas,  or  Didymus,  stepped 
"forward  and  said,  <  To  convince  you,  Sir,  of  our  earnest 
«  desire  to  have  the  Bible  in  the  Malayalim  tongue,  I  need 
«  only  mention  that  I  have  lately  translated  the  Gospel  of  St. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  3gl 

•<  Matthew  for  the  benefit  of  my  own  children.  It  is  often 
"  borrowed  by  the  other  families.  It  is  not  in  fine  language; 
"  but  the  people  love  to  read  it.' 

"  *  But  how,'  said  the  old  priest,  *  shall  we  know  that  your 
<<  standard  copy  is  a  true  translation  of  our  Bible?  We  can- 
"  not  depart  from  our  own  Bible.  It  is  the  true  book  of 
•*  God,  without  corruption ;  that  book  which  was  first  used 
«'  by  the  Christians  at  Antioch.  >yhat  translations  you  have 
*<  got  in  the  West  we  know  not ;  but  tjie  true  Bible  of  Anti- 
<•  och  we  have  had  in  the  mountains  of  Malabar  tor  fourteen 
"  hundred  years,  or  longer.  Some  of  our  copies  are  from 
"  ancient  times ;  so  old  and  decayed,  that  they  can  scarcely 
^^  be  preserved  much  longer.'  I  rejoiced  when  I  heard 
« this. 

*<  i  But  how,'  repeated  the  aged  priest,  «  shall  we  know 
^<  that  your  Western  Bible  is  the  same  as  ours?'  <  I  have 
"here,'  said  I,  ^  a  Western  Syrian  Bible,  which  yourselves 
<«  can  read  ;  and  I  have  an  English  Bible,  which  will  be  in- 
"  terpreted  to  you.  Let  some  portion  of  Scripture,  selected 
'<  at  a  venture,  be  accurately  examined.  You  can  compare 
<<  the  whole  at  your  leisure  hereafter.'  They  turned  over 
"  the  leaves  of  my  Bible  with  surprise,  having  never  seen 
"  a  printed  Syriac  Bible  before.  After  some  consultation, 
<«  they  proposed  that  the  3d  chapter  of  St.  Matthew's  Gos- 
"  pel  should  be  critically  compared,  word  for  word,  in  the 
«  Eastern  Syrian,  Western  Syrian,  and  English.  St.  Mat- 
<'  thew  was  selected,  I  believe,  at  the  suggestion  of  Thomas, 
"  who  had  got  his  Malayalim  translation  in  his  hand. 

<<  It  was  an  interesting  scene  to  me  to  behold  the  ancient 
''  English  Bible  brought  before  the  tribunal  of  these  simple 
<<  Christians  in  the  hills  of  Malabar.  They  sat  down  to  the 
«  investigation  with  great  solemnity  ;  and  the  people  around 
«  seemed  to  think  that  something  important  depended  on  the 
*<  issue. 

«  I  held  a  Greek  Testament  in  ray  hand,  and  proposed 
« that  the  sense  of  the  Greek  copy  should  be  first  explained, 
«  as  the  New  Testament  was  first  given  to  the  worhl  in 
''  Greek.'' 

s  2  » 


3^g  MEMOIRS  OF 

Here  a  discussion  arose  respecting  the  comparative  me- 
rits of  the  Greek  and  Syriac  Scriptures,  which  Dr.  Bu- 
chanan has  given  at  length  in  his  Researches'^.  After  which 
he  adds,  **  Not  thinking  it  prudent  to  proceed  further  in  this 
"  argument,  1  proposed  that  Jona  (the  aged  priest)  should 
<«  first  read  his  own  Syriac  as  the  standard,  with  which  the 
«  other  versions  should  he  compared.  We  accordingly  be- 
•'  gan,  and  soon  finished  the  collation  of  the  chapter.  Jona 
••  was  satisfied  that  the  English  Bible  was  a  faithful  transla- 
<«  tion.  As  for  the  Western  Syrian,  it  agreed  with  the  East- 
^<  ern  nearly  word  for  word.  Thomas's  Malayalini  transla- 
•<  tion  alone  was  faulty. 

*«  We  next  considered  the  establishment  of  schools;  the 
•»  proposal  of  which  seemed  very  acceptable  to  them. 

*<  My  business  w  as  now  done.  The  priests  observed,  that 
<<  it  would  he  necessary  that  their  Bishop  and  Metropolitan, 
*<  Mar  Dionysius,  now  residing  at  Candenad,  near  Cochin, 
«  should  be  made  fully  acquainted  with  all  that  had  passed  ; 
«<  as  without  his  concurrence  nothing  could  be  done  with  en- 
i(  e|.gy  in  so  extensive  a  diocese.  I  told  them  I  had  already 
<i  ascertained  that  tlie  good  Bishop  would  willingly  give  his 
<^  sanction  to  measures  so  beneficial  to  his  people,  and  that 
«<  he  would  signify  it  to  them  officially  in  due  time. 

"  The  people  now  informed  me  they  had  determined  that 
"  one  of  the  priests,  and  one  of  the  elders,  should  accompany 
"  me  to  the  other  churches;  and  that  letters  should  be  sent 
««  before  to  announce  our  coming. 

"  Next  day  w<?  took  our  departure  from  Mavelycar,  and 
"  arrived  in  the  evening  at  the  church  of  Chinganoor.  The 
«<  priests  and  people  came  out,  women  and  children  in  their 
*<  holiday  clothes,  to  meet  us  at  a  little  distance  from  the 
'*  town.  The  church  is  a  spacious  building,  far  superior  to 
<^  any  that  I  had  yet  seen.  Near  the  altar  are  two  shrines 
*<  of  bishops  who  died  here.  I  requested  Jesua  the  priest 
"  to  select  four  of  the  chief  elders,  as  representatives  of  the 
«  people,  to  hear  what  had  passed  at  Mavelycar.     They  re- 

*  Christian  Researches,  pp.  80,  81.  Phil.  ed. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  323 

«<  ceived  the  proposal  for  diffusing  the  Scriptures  and  estab- 
•^Jishing  the  schools  with  the  utmost  cordiality. 

"  I  was  here  told,  that  no  European,  or  even  Romish 
<<  priest,  had  ever  penetrated  farther  into  the  country  than 
••  this  place.  Bartolomeo  was  not  here;  for  there  is  not  a 
"  single  Roman  church  in  this  district  of  Malabar. 

*<  Caliclierry  was  our  next  chui  ch.  It  is  built  on  the  top 
•^of  a  hill.  The  chief  priest  is  Matthew,  aged  eighty  years. 
"  He  gave  me  the  history  of  ancient  times  ;  and  also  a  very 
"  accurate  account  of  the  present  state  of  the  Syrian  church. 
"  The  people  here  manifested  the  same  favourable  disposi- 
"  tion  which  had  appeared  at  the  former  places. 
^<  Still  journeying  towards  the  East,  we  arrived  at  the 
"  church  of  Puttencow;  from  whence  we  had  a  view  of  the 
*«  delectable  mountains,  the  utmost  bound  of  the  Syrian 
"  churches.  The  church  of  Puttencow  was  built  by  the  pre- 
^^  sent  Bishop  about  fourteen  years  ago.  At  this  place  I  met 
**  a  greater  number  of  aged  persons  than  I  had  yet  seen. 
*«  They  suggested  many  useful  improvements  in  the  plans  to 
^«  be  adopted,  and  pointed  out  where  they  were  most  liable 
<<  to  fail.  Andrew,  the  priest,  appeared  to  be  very  zealous 
•^  for  Scripture  translation. 

"  We  came  the  next  day  to  Maraman,  a  small  church, 
•*over  which  presides  the  aged.  Zechariah.  I  found  him 
"  reading  his  Masmora  (Psalms)  in  the  porch  of  the  church. 
•^  This  part  of  the  country  is  interspersed  with  hilis,  round 
'^  which  the  rivers  from  the  Ghauts  wind  their  course.  The 
«'  Christians  go  from  place  to  place  in  little  canoes.  Some- 
*<  times  a  woman  may  be  seen  with  the  oar  in  her  hand; 
<*  sometimes  a  little  boy  ;  some  of  the  canoes  being  so  small 
*<  as  to  admit  of  two  persons  only. 

*<  The  church  of  Colancherry  was  next  in  our  course.  It 
••  is  built  in  the  bosom  of  the  forest,  but  not  far  from  a  river. 
"  The  people  were  poor,  but  very  hospitable^.  An  old  lady 
<<  wished  me  to  make  a  promise  tliat  I  would  come  back 
•'again  in  a  year  or  two,  or  at  least  that  I  would  write  to 
"  them.  She  would  take  care  that  the  Cassanars  did  their 
"  duty. 


3;g4  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  Next  day  we  arrived  at  Raiinielj  the  remotest  church  in 
*'  these  regions,  and  the  limit  of  my  proposed  tour.  This 
*<  church  is  built  on  a  steep  hill,  or  rather  rock,  in  which  a 
<*  few  steps  are  cut  to  ascend.  The  people  assembled  from 
*'  all  quarters,  and  seemed  delighted  with  the  novelty  of 
"  my  appearance,  and  that  of  my  attendants.  The  two 
^«  priests  were  Lucas  and  Matthew ;  and  the  four  elders, 
"  Abraham,  Thoma,  Georgius,  and  Philip. 

"  I  found  Abraham  to  be  rich  ;  and  to  be  withal  deeply 
^<  interested  in  the  success  of  our  measures  for  the  extension 
^(  of  religion.  He  had  travelled  a  little.  He  said  there  was 
^<  a  great  difference  between  the  religion  of  the  heart  and 
'^  the  doctrines  of  the  head ;  and  it  was  to  be  lamented 
^*  that  many  priests  were  ignorant  of  this.  «  You  were 
<«  right,'  said  he  *  in  taking  a  pledge  of  the  four  chief  elders, 
^«  rather  than  of  the  young  Cassanars.  For  want  of  colle- 
•  <  ges^  and  places  of  religious  instruction,  the  young  priests 
««  are  sent  to  teach  us  before  they  are  taught  themselves. 
•<  They  are  obliged  indeed  to  lead  moral  lives,  for  otherwise 
«  they  would  not  be  endured.  But  no  man  should  go  forth 
"  to  the  ministry  until  he  has  studied  the  whole  Bible,  and 
'f  can  quote  it  fluently  in  his  Christian  discourse.  For  three 
*«  hundred  years  we  have  been  quarrelling  with  the  Romish 
<*  Church  about  supremacy,  rites,  and  ceremonies,  but  the 
<*  Bible  has  been  out  of  the  question.  The  Bible,  Sir,  is 
*^  what  we  want,  in  the  language  of  our  own  mountains. 
<«  "With  the  Bible  in  his  hand,  every  man  can  become  the 
»^  priest  of  his  own  family.' 

<«  While  Abraham  was  thus  discoursing,  I  thought  of  that 
^<  other  Abraham,  wlio  was  called  <  the  friend  of  God'  in  a 
«  strange  land.  He  gave  me  much  useful  information,  and 
<f  conveyed  it  too  with  some  authority  ;  for  he  seemed  to  con- 
-^  sider  me  as  a  young  man  who  professed  a  good  purpose, 
"  but  who  was  not  likely  to  bring  it  to  a  happy  issue,  with- 


a  It  maybe  gratifying  to  the  reader  to  know,  that  Major  Munro,  the  present 
British  Resident  in  Trj^vancore,  has  succeeded  in  procuring  the  establishment  of  a 
college  for  the  better  instruction  of  the  Syrian  priests. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  3S5 

««  out  being  well  directed  and  well  supported.  <  After  you 
^«  are  gone/  said  he,  <  evil  men  will  endeavour  to  frustrate 
^<  your  counsel.  Nothing  will  complete  your  success  but  the 
«  authority  of  the  English  government  interposed  in  our  be- 
««  half.  Before  any  thing  can  be  done  in  India  on  a  great 
"  scale,  kings,  and  men  in  power,  must  range  themselves  on 
<«  God's  side.  When  the  Christian  religion  is  left  to  itself,  as 
<^  a  thing  indifferent,  the  solid  dominion  of  the  devil  will  soon 
«  overwlielm  it;  unless  indeed  it  should  please  God  to  send 
"  forth  in  these  days  his  divine  power  in  a  miraculous  way, 
''  as  in  the  first  ages.  But  this  we  are  not  to  expect,  and 
«  therefore  we  ought  to  pray,  as  in  our  Syrian  Liturgy,  <  that 
^^  kings  and  ministers  would  work  with  God.' ' 

"  I  proposed  to  Abraham  that  he  should  correspond  on 
<<  these  subjects  with  the  most  learned  and  pious  persons  of 
«  his  Church  ;  and  requested  he  would  inform  me  from  time 
*<  to  time  what  was  proper  to  be  done.  At  parting  I  put 
*«  a  ring  on  Abraham's  finger,  before  the  people.  He  said  he 
<«  should  ever  wear  it,  and  it  should  be  a  memorial  of  what 
«  had  passed.  At  the  request  of  the  priests  I  recorded  my 
"  visit  in  the  church  books,  in  the  Syrian  language ;  being 
«  willing  that  there  should  be  the  appearance  of  as  much 
<«  solemnity  as  possible  in  my  visit  to  this  remote  people ; 
^<  in  order  that  the  objects  of  it  might  not  soon  be  forgotten. 

'i  At  all  these  churches  I  passed  some  time  in  examining 
« their  Syrian  books.  At  most  places  there  are  ancient 
^'  copies  of  the  Scriptures,  or  of  some  parts  of  them  ;  for  the 
«  whole  Scriptures  are  with  them  seldom  bound  up  in  one 
"  volume.  They  are  most  generally  in  four  :  the  Oreta,  or 
"  former  part  of  the  Old  Testament ;  the  Evangelion,  the 
«  Praxeis,  and  the  Egurta,     The  Prophets  are  rarest. 

"  In  the  vicinity  of  Ranniel,  there  is  a  high  hill,  from  the 
<*  top  of  which  the  people  told  me  I  might  have  an  extensive 
«^  view  of  the  country.  The  hill  was  steep,  and  of  laborious 
"  ascent,  and  I  left  my  servants  below.  When  I  had  gain- 
<«  ed  the  summit,  I  felt  myself  much  fatigued,  and  sat  down 
•<  to  contemplate  the  delightful  prospect.     The  mountains  of 


326  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  the   Ghauts  were  at  some  distance,  but  from  their  great 
"  height  they  appeared  to  be  close  at  hand. 

"  In  a  few  minutes  I  saw  a  man  coming  up  from  a  village 
^*  below,  with  a  cocoa-nut  in  his  hand.  I  drank  the  cooling 
«  water,  and  was  much  refreshed.  He  said  he  was  a  Christ- 
**  ian  ;  that  seeing  me  ascend,  he  thought  the  cocoa-water 
**  would  be  acceptable.  I  said  I  was  a  Christian  too.  He 
"  smiled  doubtingly,  looking  at  my  English  dress.  He  said 
"  he  was  never  farther  from  home  than  the  adjacent  moun- 
"  tains,  where  he  sometimes  went  to  fell  wood.  He  did  not 
"  seem  to  understand  that  there  were  Christians  in  any 
"  other  part  of  the  world,  than  the  mountains  of  Malayala. 
"  He  pointed  out  to  me  by  name  the  Christian  parishes  which 
"  I  liad  visited,  but  most  of  the  churches  were  concealed  by 
^^  the  trees.  The  Christians  are  forbidden  to  have  steeples, 
"  as  they  would  appear  too  preeminent  among  the  pagodas 
"of  the  heathens. 

"  While  I  surveyed  the  Christian  districts  all  around,  I 
"  reflected  on  the  inscrutable  counsels  of  God,  in  finding  this 
"  assyluni  for  the  Bible  during  so  many  ages ;  and  yet  in 
"  confining  it  for  so  long  a  period  to  this  region  of  the  heathen 
"  world.  1  indulged  the  hope  that  the  same  Providence  was 
*'  about  to  unfold  itself  by  dispensing  the  Bible  throughout 
"  the  East,  by  means  of  this  people. 

"  I  passed  two  hours  on  the  top  of  this  hill.  I  do  not 
<«know  its  name.  But  I  called  it  Pisgah  ;  for  I  believed 
"that  I  had  a  sight  of  kingdoms  promised  to  the  Messiah 
"  in  the  second  Psalm.  <  I  will  give  thee  the  heathen  for 
"  thine  inheritance,  and  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  for 
<*  thy  possession.' 

"  On  my  return  from  Ranniel,  I  visited  most  of  the  church- 
"  es  a  second  time,  and  then  proceeded  to  Nerenam,  which 
"  was  formerly  the  residence  of  the  Syrian  Bishops.  The 
"  episcopal  chair,  covered  with  red  velvet,  and  decorated 
"  with  copper  studs,  is  evidently  the  workmanship  of  a  for- 
"  mer  age.  In  a  corner  lay  the  pastoral  staff".  The  church 
"  itself  is  supposed  to  be  nine  hundred  years  old.  The 
"  chief  Kasheesha  here  was  Thoma>  aged  62  years.    He  has 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  3^7 

"  five  colleagues  and  one  shumshana,  (student.)  The  Christ- 
«  ians  here  are  said  to  be  wealthy  ;  but  tliey  must  conceal 
«'  their  wealth.  Their  chief  elder  is  named  Jacob  Terra- 
"  gon  ;  the  latter  word  is  an  addition  conferred  by  the  Rajah 
««  on  persons  of  condition.  Jacob  intimated  to  me,  that  he 
"  was  ready  to  support  the  cause  with  money. 

«  Next  day  we  arrived  at  Mavelycar,  where  I  received  a 
"  better  welcome  than  on  my  first  visit  to  that  place. 

"  In  all  these  churches  which  I  visited,   I  found  the  same 
^-  zeal  and  affection  for  the  religion  of  their  forefathers.     In 
«  every   church  the  elders  stepped  forth  with  patriarchal 
«  simplicity  and  zeal,  as  the  natural  guardians  of  the  peo- 
"  pie.     The  women  in  general  were  affable  and  courteous  in 
*<  their  manners,  and  appeared  to  be  as  much   interested  in 
« the  objects  of  my  visit  as  the  men.     The  children  shewed 
<«  nothing  of  the  Hindoo  shyness  and  alarm  at  a  stranger. 
«  They  used  lo  mount  my  palanquin,   and  sometimes  get 
«  into  it.     The  manners  indeed  of  the  Nayrs  of  both  sexes 
<«  have  much  of  the  same  independent  frankness.     As  to  the 
<<  Brahmins,  their  families  live  in   entire  seclusion,   as  in 
"  a  Romish  convent ;  unlike  any  thing  that  is  known  else- 
^<  where  in  Hindostan. 

*«  From  Mavelycar  I  went  to  Aleppe  on  the  sea-coast;  and 
« thence  I  returned  into  the  interior  of  the  country  as  far  as 
«^  Changanacherry,  to  visit  the  Romish  churches  in  that 
"  quarter.  At  Pulingunne  is  a  Syrian  academy  for  the 
"  Cassanars  of  the  Romish  Church.  It  is  under  excellent 
"  management ;  and  if  its  objects  were  well  directed,  it 
<^  would  become  an  useful  institution.  The  Romans  were 
«*  surprised  at  my  condescension,  as  they  termed  it,  in  visit- 
"  ing  them,  having  understood  that  I  had  visited  the  Syrian 
<<  congregations,  and  favoured  their  religion.  For  it  seems 
<«  the  rumour  of  my  progress  to  the  mountains  had  already 
"  gone  far  abroad.  « It  is  true,'  said  I,  <  I  am  a  schismatic. 
«  Colonel  Macaulay  and  the  Governor  General,  and  all  the 
"  English  are  schismatics  from  the  Romish  Church.'  The 
<«  priests  were  very  polite,  and  would  not  allow  that  the  En- 
<«  giish  were  either  heretics  or  schismatics.     <  Indeed  wc 


^2S  MEMOIRS  OF 

**  are/  said  I,  *  as  much  schismatics  as  the  Syrians  in  the 
^«  mountains.  It  will  be  expedient  for  you,  therefore,  to 
"  change  the  name  for  the  future,  if  you  have  any  respect 
**  for  the  English.'  This  speech,  as  I  afterwards  heard,  was 
^'  carried  before  me  to  the  Romish  Bishop  at  Verapoli,  near 
«  Cochin  ;  for  whose  use,  indeed,  I  chiefly  intended  it." 

Dr.  Buchanan  next  directed  his  course  to  Candenad,  the 
residence  of  Mar  Dionysius,  the  Metropolitan  of  the  Syrian 
Church. 

*«  On  my  arrival,"  he  says,  "  I  found  that  a  great  numher 
<*  of  his  clergy  had  assembled  from  different  parts  of  the 
*<  diocese  in  expectation  of  my  coming.  The  old  Bishop  is 
"infirm,  being  now  78  years  of  age,  and  received  me  in  an 
"  upper  chamber.  He  saluted  me  with  «  a  holy  kiss,'  after 
"  the  apostolic  manner.  He  said  he  had  learnt  all  that  had 
"  passed  in  my  progress  through  his  churches.  His  fears 
<«  from  the  power  of  the  Romish  Church  had  now  subsided  ; 
"  and  he  was  satisfied  that  the  English  were  the  friends 
^<  of  his  Church.  *  His  joy  was  like  that  of  the  Jews,  when 
"  Cyrus  sent  forth  his  mandate  to  rebuild  the  walls  of  Je- 
"  rusalem.' 

"  Next  morning  I  delivered  to  him  a  paper  containii^g 
•*  some  subjects  for  the  consideration  of  himself  and  his 
*<  clergy." 

This  related  to  their  disposition  to  an  union  with  the  En- 
glish Church,  to  such  extent  as  should  seem  practicable 
to  both ;  to  tlie  translation  of  the  Scriptures  into  the  Ma- 
layalim  language,  and  to  the  establishment  of  Christian 
schools  in  all  the  parishes  of  his  diocese.  Upon  these  sub- 
jects some  very  interesting  discussions  took  place,  the  sub- 
stance of  which  will  be  found  in  the  Christian  Researches, 
pp.  128 — 134. 

«  At  the  close  of  the  conference  the  Bishop  added,  <  I  am 
*'  in  a  declining  state  of  health,  and  cannot  expect  to  live  to 
"  sec  these  pleasing  prospects  realized,  which  now  open  to 
"  our  view.     But  I  am  the  father  of  fifty-five  churches  in  a 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  3^9 

<•  heatl»cn  land  ;  and  I  must  soon  give  up  my  account  to 
*<  the  Bishop  of  souls.  I  have  been  thus  explicit  in  decla- 
"  ring  to  you  my  sentiments  before  my  clergy,  that  they 
«  may  act  wisely,  and  remember  them  when  1  am  gone.' 
<^  He  then  introduced  me  to  two  of  the  priests,  whom  he  au- 
<<  thorized  to  communicate  with  me,  as  occasion  miglit  re- 
"  quire,  on  the  subjects  of  the  present  conference. 

"  The  next  morning  I  visited  the  cliureh  of  Udiamper, 
"  which  is  only  half  a  mile  from  Candenad.  This  is  the 
^<  church  in  w  hich  the  celebrated  synod  was  held  in  1599, 
«  by  Menezes,  Archbishop  of  Goa.  It  is  a  spacious  edi- 
"  fice." 

From  Udiamper  Dr.  Buchanan  proceeded  to  Cochin. 

"  On  my  arrival,"  he  continues,  "  I  slept  the  first  night  at 
"the  house  of  Mr.  V.  the  old  Dutch  governor.  Next  morn- 
<«  ing  I  went  over  to  an  island  about  two  miles  from  Cochin, 
<^  on  which  Colonel  Macaulay  has  a  house.  He  received  me 
"  with  great  kindness,  and  has  paid  me  much  attention  du- 
"  ring  my  stay  in  Malabar.  Colonel  M.  is  a  man  of  letters ; 
<^  and  had,  previously  to  my  coming,  collected  various  infor- 
"  mation  and  many  manuscripts,  Syrian  and  Syrochaldaic,  for 
<'  my  inspection.  He  had  also  procured  a  copy  of  certain 
*i  chapters  of  the  Jewish  Scriptures,  which  he  understood  I 
«  wished  to  see. 

^«  In  a  few  days  after  my  arrival,  he  accompanied  me  to 
«<  the  Rajah  of  Cochin's  palace,  and  thence  to  Udiamper  and 
^^  Candenad.  The  old  Bishop  was  much  gratified  with  this 
"  second  visit,  and  considered  it  as  a  proof  of  our  affection 
«« for  his  church.  Colonel  M.  intimated  to  him  that  he 
"  perfectly  accorded  with  me  in  the  measures  that  had  been 
<*  proposed,  and  invited  the  Bishop  to  dine  with  us  at  Co- 
"  chin.  This  invitation  his  bad  health  would  not  allow  him 
«  to  accept;  but  he  sent  over  two  of  his  principal  clergy  to 
•<  consult  with  me  further  on  the  aifairs  of  the  Church." 

From  this  place  Dr.  Buchanan  visited  Cranganore,  the 
spot  on  which  the  Apostle  Thomas  is  said  to  have  first  land- 
ed in  India ;  Paroor,  the  church  of  which  place  bears  the 

T    2 


330  MEMOIRS  OF 

name  of  St.  Thomas,  and  is  said  to  be  the  most  ancient  in 
Malabar ;  and  Vei  apoii,  the  residence  of  a  Romish  bishop, 
and  the  Pope's  apostolic  vicar. 

«  Before  my  arrival,  the  Bishop  had  lent  some  books  to 
<*  Colonel  M.,  one  of  which  was  '  La  Croze's  Christianisme 
**  des  Tndes,'  a  book  marked  in  the  Bishop's  library  as  « li- 
<*  ber  hereticus ;  prohibitus.'  This  book  iie  wished  to  get 
"  back,  lest  it  should  fall  into  my  hands.  Colonel  M.  re- 
*<  fused  to  give  it,  knowing  it  was  his  intention  to  burn  it. 
•<  I  visited  the  Bishop  at  Verapoli,  and  explained  to  him 
<<  that  I  had  not  come  to  notice  /lis  church,  but  to  take  care 
<«  of  a  flock  who  seemed  to  have  no  church  of  its  own.  It 
"  seems  that  he  and  all  the  priests  at  Verapoli  had  taken  it 
•«  for  granted  that  my  purpose  was  to  subjugate  them  to  the 
«  Churcli  of  England.  «  How,'  said  I,  <  could  I  possibly  think 
"of  effecting  such  a  change?'  I  shall  not  soon  forget  the 
«  answer.  <  If  the  English  government  should  desire  it,  and 
"  threaten  to  withdraw  its  protection  if  we  did  not  comply, 
«  what  alternative  would  be  left?'  I  answered  that  I  was 
<<  glad  to  find  they  were  so  compliant,  but  I  had  no  proposi- 
<<tion  to  make  to  them  on  that  subject.  Only  I  should  be 
*<  much  obliged  to  them  to  give  the  Scriptures  to  the  people. 
<'  If  they  were  afraid  of  the  inquisition  at  Goa,  I  could  pro- 
"  mise  that  not  one  of  them  should  be  burnt. 

"  The  Bishop  has  opened  his  library  to  me,  and  shewn  me 
«  many  important  records  of  his  church.  He  is  indeed  very 
«  cordial  in  his  assistance,  if  I  may  judge  from  his  endeav- 
<<  ours  to  afford  me  information. 

*<  You  will  perhaps  think  that  my  mission  to  Malabar  has 
<<  terminated  very  satisfactorily  without  noticing  7/ia7iwscnpfs. 
<«  These  are  certainly  of  but  secondary  consideration  with 
"  me,  though  the  learned  will  probably  consider  them  to  be 
«  of  primary  importance." 

Dr.  Buchanan  then  relates  his  success  in  obtaining  both 
Syrian  and  Hebrew  manuscripts,  and  describes  the  brass 
tablets,  fac-similes  of  which  he  procured  at  Cochin,  and  on 
which  are  engraved  the  privileges  granted  several  centuries 
since  to  the  Christians  and  Jews  by  the  native  princes  of 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  331 

Malabar.     But  of  all  these  circumstances  a  particular  ac- 
count is  already  before  the  public*. 

In  the  course  of  his  tour,  Dr.  Buchanan  made  drawings  of 
several  of  the  Syrian  churches  on  the  spot;  of  which,  though 
extremely  simple,  and  with  one  exception  exhibiting  only 
the  principal  front  of  each  building,  it  has  been  thought  de- 
sirable to  obtain  engravings,  as  an  accompaniment  to  this 
part  of  his  Memoirs.  They  represent  the  old  church  of  Pa- 
roor,  those  of  Candenad  and  Udiamper,  and  that  of  Alan- 
gatta.  The  three  former  have  been  already  particularly 
mentioned.  Of  the  latter  it  will  appear,  that  Dr.  Buchanan 
merely  states  his  intention  of  visiting  it.  It  is  said  to  be  the 
largest  of  the  Syrian  temples,  and  a  very  handsome  and 
noble  building^.  The  church  of  Paroor,  as  Dr.  Buchanan 
remarked  generally  of  the  most  ancient  Syrian  structures, 
is  not  unlike  some  of  the  old  parish  churches  in  England. 
The  other  three  are  more  ornamented,  and  evidently  in  the 
style  of  architect  prevalent  in  Asia  Minor  and  Syria.  The 
sketches  of  these  venerable  buildings  can  scarcely  be  con- 
templated without  exciting  some  tribute  of  applause  to  the 
Christian  zeal  and  energy  which  prompted  Dr.  Buchanan  to 
explore  the  recesses  amidst  which  they  had  been  for  ages 
concealed,  and  to  shed  around  them  that  scriptural  light 
which  poverty  and  neglect  had  well  nigh  extinguished. 

The  following  miscellaneous  extracts  from  his  letter  to 
Mr.  Brown,  dated  Cochin,  may  next  be  added. 

"  Colonel  Macaulay  has  been  fortunate  enough  to  incline 
<<  the  Travancore  court  to  the  belief,  that  all  the  Christian 
"  churches  are,  and  necessarily  must  be,  cognizable,  in  res- 
«*  pect  of  interior  management,  and  the  appointment  of  Bi- 
*<  shops,  by  the  Christian  King,  who  is  now  Sovereign  of 
«*  India.  The  Bishop  of  Cochin,  lately  appointed  from  Goa, 
*•'  arrived  while  I  was  here.  But  he  could  not  enter  on  the 
"  duties  of  his  office  until  he  was  recognized  by  the  British 
"  Resident,  who  gave  him  his  authority  to  be  presented  to 
<•'  the  governnient  of  Travancore.     The  Bishop  of  Cochin 

aChristian  Researches,  pp.  92,  &c.  Phil.  ed. 
h  Asiatic  Researches,  vol.  vii. 


332  MEMOIRS  OF 

"presides  over  most  of  the  churches  on  the  sea-coast,  to- 
"  wards  the  south. 

"  As  to  the  Christians  in  the  territories  of  the  King  of  Co- 
"chin,  the  Dutch  constantly  assumed  the  entire  manage- 
"  ment  of  the  cliurches,  and  even  the  collection  of  the  reve- 
"  nues  due  to  the  Rajah  from  the  Christians.  This  was 
<•  done  to  preserve  tlie  people  from  oppression.  It  would  be 
"  desirable  that  a  similar  right  were  exercised  by  the  En- 
»<  glish  government  in  relation  to  the  Christians  in  the  ter- 
<•'  ritories  of  the  King  of  Travancore. 

" I  was  present  the  other  night  at  the   marriage  of 

*<  the  daughter  of  Nathaniel,  the  richest  Jew  of  the  place. 
^«  It  was  a  very  splendid  solemnity.  The  women  were  cov- 
«'  ered  with  gold  and  silver  Dacca  and  Surat  muslins,  that 
^<  being  the  costume  on  such  occasions  from  time  immemo- 
*•  rial. 

"  The  weather  on  the  coast  is  still  dry  and  pleasant.  I 
"  have  had  no  cold  as  yet  this  year ;  an  indisposition  which 
"  I  never  escaped  in  Calcutta  in  the  months  of  October  and 
<*  November.  I  expect  to  leave  Malabar  in  about  a  fort- 
"  night,  and  shall  probably  be  with  you  in  Bengal  about  the 
^'  end  of  February.  Swartz's  catechist  is  still  with  me.  I 
^<  forget  whether  I  mentioned  to  you  that  one  of  Mr.  Swartz's 
*<  brass  lamps  is  destined  for  you.  It  is  called  the  Halle 
<*  University  lamp.  It  gives  a  bright  and  steady  light,  and 
**  a  square  moveable  canopy  shade  preserves  the  eyes.  It 
^<  is  worn  thin  by  tlie  midnight  lucubrations  of  the  old  man; 
<*  for  he  was  a  hard  student  to  the  last  year  of  his  life. 

**  I  am  now  about  to  visit  the  interior  of  this  country  a 
« third  time,  and  shall  first  proceed  to  Angamalee,  formerly 
*^  an  archbishopric  of  the  Syrian  Christians.  I  have  written 
<<to  you  thus  particularly  of  my  tour  through  Malabar,  in 
«<  order,  that  if  I  should  be  long  delayed  in  my  return,  you 
**  may  know  what  has  been  done.  I  have  succeeded  certainly 
»-  in  the  general  objects  of  my  inquiry  beyond  my  most  san- 
^<  guine  expectations. 

«  Mr.  H.  at  Angengo  has  heard  of  an  ancient  history  of 
^f  Malabar  in  the  Malayalim  language,  which  his  linguist 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  333 

<<  has  promised  to  procure.  The  Rajah's  dewan  tells  nic, 
"  that  it  is  referred  to  in  public  acts.  Mr.  H.  says,  there  are 
"  in  the  episcopal  library  at  Verapoli  some  volumes  on  Shan- 
"  scrit  literature  from  the  Propaganda,  wliich,  if  possible,  I 
"  shall  procure  for  Mr.  Colebrooke's  inspection.  I  wish  Mr. 
"  C.  himself  were  here.  The  Brahmins  still  aver,  that 
«*  Malabar  is  the  cradle  of  Shranscrit  science ;  and  Colonel 
*<  Macaulay  has  adopted  that  opinion  fully.  It  possibly  ex- 
"  isted  here  at  as  early  a  period  as  in  the  north,  but  not  with 
«  the  same  advantages  of  improvement." 

The  date  of  Dr.  Buchanan's  next  letter  is  December  14th, 
from  Angam alee  in  Malabar.  Though  the  name  of  this  place 
occurs  in  the  extracts  published  by  himself  from  his  journals 
the  following  account  of  it  will  be  found  to  be  fuller  and  more 
interesting. 

"  Angamalee  was  formerly  the  seat  of  the  Archbishop  of 
«  the  Syrian  churches  in  the  mountains  of  Malabar.  In  the 
<'  town  of  Angamalee  there  are  three  churches  within  a 
"  quarter  of  a  mile  from  each  other,  in  all  of  which  service 
''  is  still  performed.  The  cathedral  church  is  the  largest, 
"  and  contains  the  tombs  of  bishops  and  archbishops  for  many 
•<  centuries.  As  I  approached  the  town  of  Angamalee  in  the 
"  evening,  I  heard  the  <  sullen  roar'  of  the  great  bell  rever- 
"  berating  through  the  mountains.  When  the  Romish  Arch- 
*<  bishopric  Menezes  visited  this  place  in  1599,  the  Christ- 
"  ians  strewed  the  way  up  the  hill  with  flowers  as  he  ad- 
^<  vanced.  And  yet  he  came  to  burn  the  ancient  libraries 
*^  and  Archives  of  Angamalee.  As  the  flame  ascended,  the 
*<  old  priests  wept;  but  they  were  obliged  to  hide  their  tears, 
"  dreading  the  inquisition  at  Goa.  The  archbishop  present- 
"  ed  himself  next  day  to  the  multitude,  arrayed  in  his  pon- 
«*  tifieals,  resplendent  with  gold  and  precious  stones.  To  this 
"  day  they  have  a  lively  tradition  of  the  splendour  of  his 
«  robes  blazing  in  the  sun,  and  forming  a  striking  contrast 
<«  with  the  plain  white  garments  of  their  own  primitive 
*^  church.     When  Tippoo  waged  war  with  the  King  of  Tra- 

a Christian  Researches,  p.  80.  Phil.  Ed. 


SM: 


MEMOIRS  OF 


<<  vancore  in  1791,  he  sent  detachments  in  every  direction  to 
*<  destroy  the  Christian  churches,  and  particularly  the  an- 
*<  cient  edifices  at  Angamalee.  Two  thousand  men  penetra- 
«<  ted  into  the  mountains,  and  were  directed  to  the  place  by 
<(  the  sound  of  its  bells.  They  sprung  a  mine  under  the  al- 
"  tar  walls  of  each  church,  and  the  inhabitants  who  had  fled 
"  to  the  higher  mountains  witnessed  the  explosion.  But  the 
*<  walls  of  the  grand  front  being  five  feet  and  a  half  thick 
"  (I  measured  them  yesterday),  they  did  not  attempt  to  de- 
«  molish  them  for  want  of  powder.  In  the  mean  time  Tip- 
•*  poo,  hearing  that  Lord  Cornwallis  had  invaded  Mysore, 
<«  suddenly  recalled  his  church-destroying  detachments. 
<<  Next  year  Tippoo  was  obliged  to  sign  any  terms  that  were 
"  offered  him ;  but  Lord  Cornwallis  forgot  to  desire  him  to 
<«  rebuild  the  Christian  churches.  The  inhabitants,  how- 
«  ever,  have  rendered  them  fit  for  public  worsliip  ;  and  have 
<<  proceeded  some  way  in  restoring  the  cathedral  to  its  for- 
«  mer  state.  The  Archbishop's  residence  and  all  the  other 
<<  public  buildings  are  destroyed.  Tlie  priests  led  me  over 
<<  the  ruins,  and  shewed  me  the  vestiges  of  their  ancient 
"grandeur,  asking  me  if  I  thought  their  Zion  would  ever 
<«  be  rebuilt.  Angamalee  is  built  on  a  hill.  I  told  them, 
f(  that  their  second  temple  would  perhaps  have  more  glory 
"  than  their  first. 

*<  Two  of  the  churches  here  are  Roman,  the  third  Syrian. 
<<  But  the  two  former  would  gladly  return  to  their  mother 
<*  church. 

<«  Colonel  Macaulay  accompanied  me  half  way  in  my  pre- 
"  sent  excursion.  I  find  the  Syrian  churches  to  the  north 
<«  much  more  splendid  than  those  to  the  south.  The  books 
<'  also  are  more  numerous.  I  am  now  going  to  visit  Alangatta 
•«  and  Edapalli,  where  formerly  there  was  a  Syrian  monas- 
•*  tery." 

The  preceding  account  of  Dr.  Buchanan's  first  visit  to 
the  coast  of  Malabar  can  scarcely  be  better  closed  than  by 
the  following  letter  to  Mr.  Henry  Thornton,  which  compri- 
ses a  brief  but  animated  sketch  of  the  whole ;  and  which, 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  335 

notwithstanding  the  repetition  of  a  few  particulars  which 
will  he  familiar  to  some  readers,  will  not,  it  is  presumed, 
prove  uninteresting  to  any. 

*'  Cochin,  24tb  December,  1806. 

«  Dear  Sir, 
^<  In  August  or  September  last  I  addressed  a  letter  to  you 
<<  from  the  Pagoda  of  Seringham,  near  Tritchinopoli.  Since 
"  that  period  I  have  visited  Ceylon,  and  many  places  in 
<*  Southern  Coromandel,  and  in  the  province  of  Malabar.  I 
<^  passed  a  week  at  the  palace  of  the  Rajah  of  Travancore, 
"  who  aids  me  very  liberally  in  all  my  pursuits.  The  Brah- 
«  mins  and  present  minister  had  taught  the  young  man  (he 
*<  is  only  twenty-five)  to  oppress  the  Christians.  But  he 
*«  promises  milder  treatment  in  future.  This  favourable 
"  change  is  produced  by  the  exertions  of  Colonel  Macaulay, 
^'  the  Resident,  who  I  am  happy  to  say  is  much  alive  to  the 
•<  interests  of  religion. 

<«  From  the  sea-coast  I  proceeded  into  the  interior  of  the 

"  country,  to  visit  the  ancient  Syrian  Christians  who  inhabit 

"  the  hills  at  the  bottom  of  the  great  mountains  of  Malayala. 

<«  The  weather  was  cool  and  pleasant.     The  country  is  pic- 

«  turesque  and  highly  cultivated,  diversified  with   hill  and 

"  dale,  and  winding  streams.    These  streams  fall  from  the 

«  mountains,  and  preserve  the  vallies  in  perpetual  verdure. 

"  The  Christians  received  me  courteously,  seeing  I  travel- 

"  led  in  some  state,  escorted  by  the  Rajah's  servants.    But 

«  when  they  found  my  object  was  to  look  into  their  books 

"  and  religion,  they  surveyed  me  with  doubtful  countenance, 

"  not  well  understanding  how  an  Englishman  could  have  any 

"  interest  in  the  Christian  religion.    And  the  contrary  was 

«  only  proved  to  them  by  long  and  serious  discussion,  and 

*'*  by  the  evidence  of  facts  which  for  the  first  time  came  to 

"  their  knowledge.    But  when  their  doubts  had  been  dispel- 

<«  led,  they  sent  deputies  with  me,  who  introduced  me  to  all 

«  the  other  churches.    No  European,  or  even  Romish  priest, 

<*had  ever,  as  they  told  me,  visited  that  remote  region. 

"  There  are  no  Romish  churches  in  its  vicinity,  and  the  Ra- 


336  MEMOIRS  OF 

•<  j«ih  gives  no  permission  to  Europeans  to  travel  into  the  in- 
•*  terior  of  his  country. 

*<  The  Syrian  is  still  their  sacred  language,  and  some  of 
•<  the  laymen  understand  it;  but  the  Malayalim  is  the  vulgar 
•»  tongue.  I  proposed  to  send  a  Malayalim  translation  of 
«  the  Bible  to  each  of  the  churches ;  and  they  assured  me, 
•^  that  every  man  who  could  write  would  be  glad  to  make  a 
'*  copy  for  his  own  family.  They  also  agreed  to  establish 
"  schools  in  each  parish  for  Christian  instruction,  which  are 
•*  to  be  under  the  directi(m  of  the  four  chief  elders  of  each 
"  parish,  and  in  which  the  Bible  in  the  vulgar  tongue  is  to 
«  be  a  principal  class  book. 

"  Their  doctrines  are  not  in  essentials  at  variance  with 
^«  those  of  the  Church  of  England.  They  desire  an  union, 
•^  or  at  least  such  a  connection  as  may  be  practicable  or  desi- 
•'  rable  for  the  better  advancement  of  the  interests  of  Christ- 
»<  ianity  in  India. 

^<  As  to  manuscripts,  I  have  succeeded  far  beyond  my 
•*  most  sanguine  expectations. 

<*  It  had  been  supposed  that  the  Roman  Catholics  had  de- 
<^  stroyed  in  1599  all  the  Syrian  books.  But  it  appears  that 
^^  they  did  not  destroy  one  copy  of  the  Bible;  and  I  have  now 
<^  in  my  possession  some  MSS.  of  the  Scriptures  of  a  high 
«  antiquity.  The  collation  of  these  with  our  western  co- 
"  pies  is  very  interesting.  There  are  some  other  MSS. 
<*  which  were  not  condemned  by  the  Synod  of  Menezes.  I 
*«  have  also  found  some  old  Hebrew  MSS.  biblical  and  histo- 
'<  rical. 

*^  It  is  sufficiently  established  by  the  concurrence  of  oral 
'<  tradition  with  written  records,  that  the  Jews  were  on  this 
<«  coast  before  the  Christian  era. 

«  I  propose  to  send  home  some  Syrian  youth  to  England 
»«  for  education  and  ordination,  if  practicable.  And  I  take 
«  with  me  to  Bengal  a  Malayalim,  a  Syrian,  and  a  Jew- 
<<  ish  servant.  They  will,  however,  be  but  nominal  servants. 
"  I  should  have  engaged  them  as  moonshees  ;  but  I  see  there 
"  is  no  college  now  in  Bengal. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  337 

"  The  Roman  Catholics  here  were  at  first  very  jealous  of 
**  my  attention  to  tlic  Syrians.  The  Romish  Bishop,  how- 
«  ever,  who  is  a  boii  vivant,  perceiving  that  my  chief  object 
*«  was  to  diffuse  the  Scriptures  among  the  people,  began  to 
"  think  that  it  might  be  politic  in  him  to  circulate  them 
<*  among  his  people  too,  and  to  please  the  English  rather 
*<  than  the  inquisition.  Colonel  Macaulay  thinks  the  Bishop 
"will  adopt  the  measure  the  .moment  we  seriously  propose 
**  it.  He  lives  in  some  state,  and  fires  a  salute  of  eleven 
**  guns  on  occasion. 

*<  Cochin  is  rich  in  Hebrew  literature,  and  I  am  purcha- 
"  sing  what  is  to  be  sold. 

<•  Tiie  Rajah  of  Cochin  has  followed  the  example  of  the 
"  Rajahs  of  Travancore,  of  Tanjore,  and  the  Ranny  of  Ram- 
"  nad,  and  Ramisseram,  in  giving  me  catalogues  of  the 
"  Shanscrit  books  in  the  temples.  1  hope  the  Coorgo  Rajah 
*•  will  do  the  same, 

«*  This  opening  of  the  Pagodas  is  a  new  scene  in  India. 
<^  Mr.  Swartz  was  the  remote  instrument.  He  opened  tlie 
*<  Rajah  of  Tanjore's  heart ;  and  the  Rajah  of  Tanjore  open- 
"  ed  the  Pagodas,  those  chambers  of  imagery,  the  emblem 
"  of  the  heart. 

<*  The  Rajah  of  Tanjore  wishes  me  to  visit  him  again.  If 
<*  practicable,  I  shall  open  a  correspondence  with  him. 

«*  I  propose  to  leave  this  coast  in  a  fortnight,  and  proceed 
<<  to  Bombay,  from  whence  I  shall  probably  go  across  to  Be- 
<«  nares,  and  thence  down  to  Calcutta  by  the  Ganges. 

"  Having  arrived  at  the  extreme  boundary  of  my  tour, 
"  and  accomplished  its  object,  I  thought  it  would  be  accept- 
"  able  to  you  to  have  some  short  notices  of  it.  Be  pleased 
"  to  tell  Mr.  Newton  that  I  am  well.  I  wrote  him  a  long 
*«  letter  from  Tanjore.  It  is  with  pleasure  I  see  that,  amidst 
"  the  agitations  of  the  world,  he  is  tranquil,  and  at  peace, 
"  and  nearly  arrived  at  the  haven  where  he  would  be.  Mar 
*«  Dionysius,  the  Bishop  of  the  Syrians  in  the  mountains, 
"  has  somewhat  of  Mr.  Newton's  manner  and  appearance  ^ 
"  only  that  the  Bishop  has  a  venerable  long  beard,  which 
«<  reaches  below  his  girdle,  and  through  which  you  may  see 

TT    ^ 


338  iMEMOIRS  OF 

"  a  large  gold  cross  beaming  at  intervals.  He  is  now 
*<  seventy-eight  years  of  age,  amiable  in  his  temper,  and 
<*  devout  according  to  his  knowledge. 

"  I  read  at  this  place,  in  Hayley's  third  volume,  Cowper's 
««  correspondence  with  Mr.  Newton,  and  was  jdeased  to  see 
<*  the  name  of  the  good  man  honoured. 
"  I  remain, 

<*  Dear  Sir, 

"  Very  sincerely  yours, 

<«  C.  Buchanan." 

In  liis  next  letter  to  Mr.  Brown,  Ur.  Bucbanan  announ- 
ced his  intention  of  shortly  returning  to  Bengal,  together 
with  a  farther  plan  which  he  was  projecting  respecting  a 
visit  to  the  Christian  churches  in  Chaldea  and  Syria. 

"Cochin,  23(1  January,  1807. 

<*  I  am  happy  to  hear  that  tbe  first  Gospel  in  Chinese  and 
*<  Shanscrit  is  ready. 

»*  [  should  have  left  Cochin  before  now,  but  some  splendid 
**  events  have  taken  place.  The  Syrian  Church  finding  I 
*<  was  their  friend  indeed,  opened  new  sources  of  antiquity. 
*'  I  visited  them  once  more  ;  and  the  Bishop  presented  to  me 
«'  an  ancient  copy  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament  in  Syriac, 
«<  on  thick  vellum,  reputed  to  be  as  old  as  the  Alexandrine. 
**  On  the  other  hand,  the  Jews  were  softened  by  gold,  and  a 
"  singular  discovery  was  made." 

This  referred  to  some  valuable  Hebrew  manuscripts,  of 
which  Dr.  Buchanan  gave  a  full  account  in  his  Christian 
Researches,  and  which  will  be  again  noticed  hereafter.  The 
letter  thus  proceeds. 

«  I  despatched  on  the  3d  instant  three  chests  of  books  and 
♦'  MSS.  to  my  own  address,  and  to  your  care.  Be  pleased 
<«  to  open  them,  and  air  the  contents.  I  shall  carry  round 
«<  with  me  three  chests  more.  My  hands  are  so  fully  occu- 
•<  pied  here,  that  I  cannot  proceed  farther  up  tlie  coast  at 
"  this  time ;  besides  1  see  you  are  desirous  that  I  should  re- 
«  turn.  I  therefore  pui'pose  to  take  my  passage  in  a  large 
^«  Danish  vessel,  now  here  and  ready  to  sail.  I  have  promised 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  339 

•<  to  visit  the  Syrians  and  the  Jews  once  more  before  I  leave 
"  the  country,  if  practicable.  The  information  I  have  re- 
"  ceived  from  the  Syrian  Cliristians  strongly  inclines  me  to 
••'  visit  their  fellow-churches  in  Chaldea  and  Syria.  The 
<<  ancient  patriarchate  of  Antioch  is  just  expiring,  unless 
"supported  by  the  English  Church.  As  it  will  he  more 
*<  convenient  for  a  sea-sick  traveller  to  go  by  land,  1  had  al- 
*<  ways  proposed  to  myself  tliat  route.  And  this  new  induce- 
**  ment  will  probably  lead  me  to  adopt  it,  about  the  conclu- 
*•'  sion  of  the  present  year,  or  whenever  the  monsoon  will 
«  carry  a  ship  rapidly  into  the  Persian  Gulph.  These  things 
•*  I  have  thouglit  of,  not  thinking  that  I  can  do  much  more  in 
"India;  but  I  leave  them  to  the  issue  which  God  in  his 
<*  allwise  counsel  shall  be  pleased  to  give.  I  have  certainly 
*«  no  pleasure  in  tlie  thought  of  returning  to  England,  or  of 
"  staying  in  India.  The  world  (as  the  world)  is  equally 
"  distasteful  to  me  every  where.  If  I  knew  where  it  was 
"  the  will  of  God  I  should  pass  my  days,  I  should  there  lie 
•*  down  contented  ;  and  endeavour  to  do  some  good  in  a  quiet 
*<  and  humble  way. 

<<  In  one  of  the  chests  you  will  find  some  shawls.  Let  J. 
•*  and  H.  choose  one  each ;  and  each  of  the  boys  may  choose 
*«  a  Hebrew  book." 

Dr.  Buchanan's  last  letter  to  his  friend,  previously  to  his 
embarking  for  Calcutta,  contained  the  important  information 
of  his  having  actually  made  arrangements  for  the  translation 
of  the  Scriptures  into  the  native  language  of  Malabar.  His 
success  therefore,  as  to  the  great  objects  of  his  journey,  had 
been  complete. 

"Cochin,  29th  January,  1807. 

*<  I  received  your  letter  of  the  3ist  ultimo,  and  am  glad  to 
•«  hear  that  you  have  ended  the  year  so  well  and  so  happily. 

"I  embark  to-morrow  in  the  Danish  ship,  Danesberg, 
•<  for  Calcutta ;  and  shall  touch  at  Columbo.  I  hope  to  he 
<«  with  you  early  in  March.  I  send  a  chest  of  books  and 
•<MSS.  to  England  by  the  Bombay  ships,  which  touch 
•«  here. 


340  MEMOIRS  OF 

^<  I  am  now  about  to  encounter  sea-sickness  for  a  while. 
"  It*  I  call  at  Mr.  T's,  in  Columbo,  it  will  be  some  relief,  for 
**  I  have  much  to  do  there.  It  is  understood  by  all  ranks 
"  here  that  I  shall  call  on  them  six  months  hence  on  my 
«  way  to  the  Persian  Gulph.  I  have  expended  a  large  sum 
«  here.  Mr.  F.  told  me  he  had  orders  from  his  government 
"(Madras)  to  supply  me  with  any  money  I  might  want. 
*'But  I  did  not  avail  myself  of  this  kindness. 

"  My  servant,  who  came  from  Calcutta,  is  still  with  me. 
*'  He  was  formerly  a  ship-cook,  and  will  be  useful  now^  by 
«^  sea,  as  he  has  long  been  by  land.  Mr.  Swartz's  catechist, 
<*  and  other  attendants,  wait  here  to  see  me  on  board  ;  as  do 
4'  various  Syrian,  Romish,  and  Jewish  priests.  1  am  glad  to 
«  get  out  of  the  throng. 

<*  I  hope  I  have  come  to  this  place  for  good,  and  not  for 
^«  evil.  The  goodness  is  God's,  and  the  evil  is  my  own.  It 
<«  is  wonderful  that  I  should  have  travelled  so  far  in  safety  ; 
"  and  that,  after  the  strange  events  that  have  occurred,  I 
<<  now  leave  the  coast  in  peace.  If  I  should  never  see  you, 
<«  my  testimony  is  gone  forth  to  the  world,  and  others  must 
«<  carry  on  what  is  now  begun. 

«  The  Tamul  copy  of  the  Scriptures  (complete)  is  only 
«  arrived  to-day  from  the  Carnatic ;  I  proceed  with  it  to- 
"  morrow  to  the  Syrian  Bishop,  who  is  Viow  engaged  with 
« three  learned  Syrian  and  Malayalim  scholars  in  the  trans- 
"  iation  into  the  language  of  Malabar.  The  Bishop  longed 
"to  see  the  Tamul,  he  being  a  good  Malayalim  scholar 
"  himself. 

"  I  leave  the  three  translators  at  monthly  w  ages  ^  and 
«  Colonel  Macaulay  superintends  when  I  am  gone. 

"  The  Romish  Bishop  has  consented  to  the  circulation  of 
<* the  Scriptures  throughout  his  diocese;  so  that  there  will 
•<  be  upwards  of  200,000  persons  who  are  ready  to  receive 
"  the  Malayalim  Bible." 

Dr.  Buchanan  did  not  leave  Cochin  quite  so  soon  as  he 
had  anticipated  in  the  preceding  letter ;  but  on  the  6th 
of  February  he  embarked  on  board  the  Danesberg,  after 


DK.  BUCHANAN.  341 

having  despatched  the  following  letter  to  his  valuable  friend 
and  coadjutor,  Colonel  Macaulay. 

<'  My  dear  Sir, 

<*  I  have  directed  Messrs.  Harrington  and  Co.  at  Madras 
•<  to  honour  all  drafts  of  yours  for  any  sums  you  shall  have 
**  the  goodness  to  lay  out  on  my  account.  I  leave  to  you  to 
*<  settle  the  sum  for  the  Verapoli  Cassanar. 

<«  Mr.  Swartz's  catechist  stays  a  month  at  Candenad,  to 
*<  shew  them  the  hest  plan  of  proceeding  in  the  translation. 
<•  If  any  obstacle  to  their  progress  should  occur  from  the 
"  Tamhuran,  or  Mar  Thoma's  fear,  I  shall  be  obliged  to 
<*  you  to  transfer  the  translation  establishment  to  Tanjqpre, 
^<  whither  the  chief  man  has  no  objection  to  go.  If  a  Ver^- 
"  poli  Cassanar,  of  Syrian  and  Malayalim  learning,  could 
<«  be  prevailed  on  to  go  to  Tanjore  also,  the  establishment 
«<  would  be  complete. 

«'  I  cannot  leave  you  without  expressing  my  sense  of  the 
"  peculiar  obligations  I  am  under  for  your  uniform  assist- 
*<  ance  in  every  subject  which  has  engaged  my  attention  on 
«<  this  coast.  Without  your  direct  countenance,  I  certainly 
"  could  have  done  little  or  nothing.  Something  beneficial 
<<  to  the  country  will,  I  trust,  result  from  what  has  been 
"  done  ;  though  the  circumstance  of  your  leaving  it  presents 
"  but  a  doubtful  aspect. 

"  Believe  me  to  be, 
*<  My  dear  Sir, 

"  Very  sincerely  yours, 
"  C.  Buchanan." 


MEMOIRS  OF 


CHAPTER  VI. 


DR.  BUCHANAN  arrived  safely  at  Calcutta,  after  a 
voyage  of  five  weeks,  on  the  15th  of  March.  On  his  return 
he  found  that  the  college  of  Fort  William,  which  had  flour- 
ished nearly  seven  years,  during  which  period  it  had  been 
productive  of  the  most  important  benefits  both  to  the  service 
of  the  East  India  Company  and  to  oriental  learning  and 
religion,  had  been  reduced  within  very  narrow  limits  on  the 
first  of  January.  The  offices  of  Provost  and  Vice-Provost 
w^c  abolished,  and  the  Professorships  restricted  to  three  ; 
viz.  the  Hindostanee,  Bengalee,  and  Perso-Arabic  ;  it  being 
intended  tliat  tlie  students  should  only  be  attached  to  it,  on 
an  average,  for  a  single  year. 

The  public  letter  of  the  Court  of  Directors  which  convey- 
ed this  order  was  dated  in  May,  and  reached  Calcutta  in 
December  1806.  On  its  arrival,  Mr.  Brown,  deeply  impres- 
sed with  the  importance  of  the  moral  discipline  which  had 
hitherto  been  exercised  in  the  college  of  Fort  William,  and 
which  was  now  superseded,  felt  it  to  be  liis  duty  to  submit 
his  sentiments  upon  the  subject  to  the  Governor  General, 
and  accompanied  his  representations  with  the  offer  of  con- 
tinuing to  superintend  the  institution,  and,  if  that  were 
deemed  necessary,  to  officiate  without  salary. 

In  making  this  communication  to  Sir  George  Barlow,  Mr. 
Brown  referred  to  his  highly  esteemed  colleague,  Dr.  Bu- 
chanan, as  follows. 

<*  I  particularly  regret  that  there  should  be  a  necessity 
•<  for  any  material  change  during  the  absence  of  the  Vice- 
•«  Provost,  without  his  concurrence  or  knowledge,  from  con- 
•*  sideration  of  his  having  througliout  so  eminently  devoted 
•*  his  superior  talents,  with  the  utmost  zeal,  and  by  every 
«*  exertion  for  the  benefit  of  the  public  service,  in  the  suc- 
•<  cess  of  the  college.  In  his  absence,  I  take  it  upon  me  to 
"  communicate  faithfully  my  thoughts,   and  to  submit  them 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  343 

<<  witli  respect  and  deference  to  the  consideration  of  tlie  hon- 
••  ourable  the  Governor  General.*" 

Sir  George  Barlow,  on  receiving  the  representation  and 
offer  of  Mr.  Brown  just  referred  to,  expiessed  himself  deep- 
ly struck  and  gratified  by  his  philantliropy  and  disinterest- 
edness, and  assured  him  that  "  he  should  consider  of  his 
"proposal."  No  farther  notice  of  it,  however,  appears  to 
have  been  taken  5  but  the  new  modification  of  the  college 
immediately  took  place,  and  the  offices  of  Provost  and  Vice- 
Provost  were  accordingly  abolished. 

The  labours,  the  influence,  and  the  income  of  Dr.  Bu- 
chanan were  in  consequence  of  this  arrangement  materially 
diminished.  The  reduction  of  the  former  was  not  only  grate- 
ful to  his  taste  and  inclination,  but  necessary  to  iiis  health; 
while  that  of  the  latter  affected  him  only  as  it  tended  to 
abridge  his  means  and  opportunities  of  usefulness.  The 
subject  occurs  but  once  in  his  various  correspondence  with 
his  friends,  and  is  then  stated  merely  as  a  matter  of  in- 
formation, in  which  he  did  not  seem  to  be  particularly  in 
terested. 

His  grand  object  was  the  promotion  of  Christianity  in  In- 
dia. Tiiis  he  had  kept  steadily  in  view  during  the  period 
of  his  Vice-Provostship;*for  this,  as  we  have  already  seen,^ 
he  made  some  provision  when  anticipating  its  abolition; 
and  it  was  in  pursuance  of  the  same  important  object  that 
he  undertook  the  extensive  journey  through  which  we  have 
lately  accompanied  him. 

During  his  voyage,  or  immediately  after  his  return  to 
Calcutta,  Dr.  Buchanan  had  drawn  up  a  paper,  under  the 
title  of  'i  Literary  Intelligence,"  containing  a  sketch  of  his 
proceedings  on  the  coast  of  Malabar,  which  he  was  desirous 
of  publishing  both  at  Madras  and  Calcutta,  for  the  informa- 
tion of  those  who  were  interested  in  the  promotion  of  Christ- 
ian knowledge  in  India.  To  the  great  surprise,  however,  of 
Dr.  Buchanan,  and  of  many  of  the  most  learned  and  respect- 
able persons  at  both  Presidencies,  it  was  not  thought  expe- 

a  Memorial  Sketches  of  the  Rev,  D.  Brown,  p.  dlS. 
bSeep.  272. 


,? 


344  MEMOIRS  OF 

dieiit  to  jici'init  such  a  publication  to  be  inserted  in  tlie  go- 
vernment gazette.  It  was,  in  consequence,  printed  and 
circulated  in  a  different  form ;  and,  without  producing  any 
of  the  ill  effects  which  some  had  anticipated,  it  conveyed  in- 
telligence which  was  as  gratifying  to  the  friends  of  learning 
and  religion  in  India,  as  the  same  information  afterwards 
proved  to  persons  of  a  similar  character  in  England.a  It 
is  to  this  circumstance  that  Dr.  Buchanan  refers  in  his  sub- 
sequent correspondence  with  Colonel  Macaulay ;  which  will 
afford  a  connected  view  of  his  proceedings  after  his  return 
to  Calcutta.  The  following  is  an  extract  from  one  of  his 
first  letters  to  that  gentleman. 

"Calcutta,  4th  April,  1807. 

*»  The  alarm  of  this  government,  quoad  sdotyyexiov,  is  sub- 
<*  siding.  Your  government  also  seems  well  again.  At  least 
•*so  writes  the  Rev.  Mr.  Thompson,  to  whom  Lord  William 
"  declared,  *  that  the  promotion  of  Christianity  is  on  his 
"  heart,  and  that  he  wishes  for  more  missionaries.' 

<•  This  Society  anxiously  anticipates  the  confirmation  of 
•*  the  report,  that  Lord  Wellesley  has  been  ajjpointed  a  Sec- 
**  retary  of  State.  I  believe  it  would  be  as  agreeable  to 
«  them,  as  to  hear  that  Buonaparte  had  lost  a  leg;  which  is 
•*  also  reported. 

"  Major  Wilks's  letter  has  been  read  here  with  much  in- 
**  terest.  I  think  you  are  doing  more  in  the  Deccan,  than 
•*  we  in  Hindostan. 

"  I  send  you  a  letter  from  the  Bishop  of  Llandaff,  which 
•<  has  made  some  noise  here.  Had  the  Literary  Intelligence 
"  not  been  suppressed,  the  Bishop's  letter  would  not  have 
"  been  published." 

The  letter  thus  referred  to  was  afterwards  inserted  by 
Dr.   Buclianan  at   the  close  of  his  Christian  Researches. 

a  The  "Literary  Intelligence,"  appears,  however,  to  have  been  admitted  into  the 
Bombay  gazette,  by  wliich  means  it  reached  Europe.  It  was  afterwards  published 
in  Pjngland  by  the  late  Bishop  Porteus.  See  Dr.  Buchanan's  Apology  for  promo- 
ting Christianity  in  India,  p.  87;  and  Owen's  History  of  the  British  and  Foreign 
Bible  Society,  vol.  i.  p.  320. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  345 

The  extracts  from  it  which  foHow,  while  they  are  honour- 
ahle  to  the  Christian  zeal  of  the  late  learned  and  eloquent 
prelate  whose  name  it  hears,  will  not  here  be  deemed  irrel- 
evant. 

"  Calgarih  Park,  Kendal,  Uth  May,  1806. 

*<  Some  weeks  ago  I  received  your  Memoir  of  the  expedi- 
*^  ency  of  an  Ecclesiastical  Establisliment  for  British  India; 
<*  for  which  obliging  attention  I  now  return  you  my  best 
"  thanks.  I  hesitated  for  some  time  whether  I  ought  to  in- 
*^  terrupt  your  speculations  with  my  acknowledgments  for 
^<  so  valuable  a  present ;  but  on  being  informed  of  the  noble 
"  premium,  by  which  you  purpose  to  exercise  the  talents  of 
"  Graduates  in  the  University  of  Cambridge,  I  determined 
"to  express  to  you  my  admiration  of  your  disinterestedness 
**  and  zeal  in  the  cause  of  Christianity. 

"  Twenty  years  and  more  have  now  elapsed  since,  in  a 
<'  sermon  before  the  House  of  Lords,  I  hinted  to  the  then 
«  government,  the  propriety  of  paying  regard  to  the  propa- 
"  gation  of  Christianity  in  India ;  and  I  have  since,  as  fit 
<<  occasions  offered,  privately,  but  unsuccessfully,  pressed  the 
<«  matter  on  the  consideration  of  those  in  power.  If  my  voice 
<•'  or  opinion  can,  in  future,  be  of  any  weight  with  the  King's 
<«  ministers,  I  shall  be  most  ready  to  exert  myself,  in  for- 
<<  warding  any  prudent  measure  for  promoting  a  liberal  ec- 
<<  clesiastical  establishment  in  British  India  :  it  is  not  with- 
<<  out  consideration  that  I  say  a  liberal  establishment,  because 
« 1  heartily  wish  that  every  Christian  should  be  at  liberty 
<'  to  worship  God  according  to  his  conscience,  and  be  assisted 
<*  therein  by  a  teacher,  at  the  public  expense,  of  his  own 
"  persuasion. 

*«  The  subjects  you  have  proposed  for  the  work  which 
<<  shall  obtain  your  prize,  are  all  of  them  judiciously  chosen, 
«  and,  if  properly  treated,  (as  my  love  for  my  Alma  Ma- 
"  ter  persuades  me  they  will  be,)  may  probably  turn  the 
*«  thoughts  of  the  legislature  towards  the  measure  you  re- 
<«  commend. 

<«  God  in  his  providence  hath  so  ordered  things,  that 
*<  America,  which  three  hundred  years  ago  was  peopled  by 

X  2 


^46  MEMOIRS  OF 

^'  none  but  Pagans,  lias  now  many  millions  of  Christians  in 
**  it ;  and  will  not,  probably,  three  hundred  years  hence, 
*<  have  a  single  Pagan  in  it,  but  be  occupied  by  more  Christ- 
«<  ians,  and  more  enlightened  Christians,  than  now  exist  in 
'*  Europe. 

^<  Africa  is  not  now  worse  fitted  for  the  reception  of  Christ- 
«« ianity  than  America  was,  when  it  was  first  visited  by  Eu- 
^«  ropeans ;  and  Asia  is  much  better  fitted  for  it,  inasmuch 
**  as  Asia  enjoys  a  considerable  degree  of  civilization  ;  and 
**  some  degree  of  it  is  necessary  to  the  successful  introduction 
«  of  Christianity.  The  commerce  and  colonization  of  Christ- 
•*  ian  states  have  civilized  America  ;  and  they  will,  in  pro- 
•'  cess  of  time,  civilize  and  christianize  the  whole  earth. 
»«  Whether  it  be  a  Christian  duty  to  attempt,  by  lenient  me- 
•<thods,  to  propagate  the  Christian  religion  among  Pagans 
*^  and  Mahomedans,  can  be  doubted,  I  think,  by  few ;  but 
♦»  whether  any  attempt  will  be  attended  with  much  success 
"till  Christianity  is  purified  from  its  corruptions,  and  the 
"  lives  of  Christians  are  rendered  correspondent  to  their 
"  Christian  profession,  may  be  doubted  by  many ;  but  there 
<^  certainly  never  was  a  more  promising  opportunity  of  try- 
<«  ing  the  experiment  of  subverting  Paganism  in  India,  than 
<*  that  which  has  for  some  years  been  offered  to  the  govern- 
"  ment  of  Great  Britain. 

"  Your  publicaticm  has  given  us  in  England  a  great  insight 
"  into  the  state  of  Cliristianity  in  India,  as  well  as  into  the 
"  general  state  of  learning  amongst  you,  and  it  has  excited 
»« in  me  the  warmest  wishes  for  the  prosperity  of  the  college 
**  of  Fort  William.  It  is  an  institution  which  would  have 
"  done  honour  to  the  wisdom  of  Solon  or  Lycurgus.  I  have 
<<  no  knowledge  personally  of  the  Marquis  Wellesley ;  but 
*<  I  shall  think  of  him  and  of  his  coadjutors  in  this  undertak- 
*«  ing  with  the  highest  respect  and  admiration,  as  long  as  I 
«^  live. 

"  I  cannot  enter  into  any  particulars  relative  to  an  eccle- 
<*  siastical  establishment  in  India ;  nor  would  it,  perhaps, 
**  be  proper  to  press  government  to  take  the  matter  into  their 
*^  consideration,  till  this  country  is  freed  from  the  danger 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  34,7 

•'«  which  threatens  it :  but  I  have  that  opinion  of  his  Majes- 
*i  ty's  ministers,  that  they  will,  not  only  from  policy,  but 
"  from  a  serious  sense  of  religious  duty,  be  disposed  to  treat 
*<  the  subject,  whenever  it  comes  before  them,  with  great 
<' judgment  and  liberality.  May  God  direct  their  counsels!'- 

A  few  days  after  the  date  of  his  former  letter.  Dr.  Bu- 
chanan wrote  to  Colonel  Macaulay  as  follows. 

"Calcutta,  13th  April,  1807, 

«<My  dear  Sir, 

«  I  have  been  favoured  with  both  your  letters,  with  their 
•<  enclosures,  and  return  you  many  thanks  for  your  kind  at- 
<«  tention.  Your  first  contained  the  Hebrew  MS.  I  am  per- 
^<  fectly  satisfied  with  Levi's  explanation  of  the  cause  of  its 
<«  detention.  But  I  am  not  equally  satisfied  with  his  can- 
"  dour  quoad  the  opprobrious  omission  of  the  word  S3  in  the 
'^  last  verse  of  the  27th  of  Deuteronomy.  It  is  true,  as  you 
"  observe,  that  there  is  one  Sa  in  tliat  verse,  '  all  the  peo- 
*^  pie;'  but  there  ought  to  be  another,  viz.  *  all  the  words;' 
*<  which  the  modern  Jewish  copies  have  not.  But  it  is  in  the 
"  Samaritan  copies,  and  also  in  the  Syriac  copy  I  brought 
"  from  Travancore.  I  one  day  read  the  verse  to  Levi  in  a 
•<  Jew's  house  in  Mattinceri,  and  pointed  out  the  omission. 
i'  He  ought,  therefore,  to  have  been  candid  enough  to  have 
<^  recollected  that.  But  poor  Levi's  ideas  are  always  in  a 
^«  whirl. 

"  Your  second  letter,  which  I  had  the  pleasure  of  receiv- 
<*  ing  yesterday,  contained  Major  Wilks's  very  interesting 
"  letter,  and  that  of  your  writer,  not  less  important.  But 
«  what  relates  to  yourself  ought  first  to  have  my  attention. 
«  I  am  much  concerned  to  hear  that  your  health  is  declining, 
*^  and  that  you  must  leave  India  so  soon. 

*<  In  November  next  I  propose  to  sail  for  Cochin  and  Bom- 
"bay;  and  thence  to  the  Persian  Gulph.  My  purpose  is 
•«  made  known  to  government,  and  also  the  objects  of  a  route 
*<  overland. 


348  MEMOIRS  OF 

*<  Since  I  shall  be  myself  at  Cochin  in  November  or  De- 
"  cember,  it  will  not  be  necessary  for  you  to  make  any  ar- 
^<  rangement  at  this  time  for  sending  home  the  Syrian  youths. 
•*  I  shall  then  be  better  able  to  judge  of  the  prudence  and 
••importance  of  the  measure. 

<<  I  could  have  wished  to  have  a  Syrian  moonshee  with  mc 
•*  here  for  a  few  months  before  I  go;  but  if  it  be  not  per- 
•<  fectly  convenient  to  ship  him  off  in  time,  you  need  not 
**  think  further  of  it. 

<*  I  am  happy  to  hear  that  the  Malayalim  translation  pro- 
•*  ceeds  with  such  spirit.  Mr.  Kolhoff  writes  to  me,  that  he 
•«is  very  ready  to  undertake  the  superintendance  of  that 
<«  work,  if  untoward  circumstances  should  impede  its  pro- 
"  gress  in  Travancore. 

^*  The  reason  why  I  did  not  communicate  to  you  the  <  Li- 
"•terary  Intelligence,'  was,  that  you  might  be  exonera- 
»<  ted  from  the  consequences  of  the  publication  of  that  pa- 
<«  per,  should  there  be  any  unpleasant  result  in  a  political 
*<  way.  The  Madras  government  deemed  it  to  be  so  dan- 
*<  gerous,  that  they  refused  to  publish  it.  The  government 
^<  here  (^par  nobile)  refused  also.  This  suppression  of  what 
•<  almost  all  sensible  men  accounted  to  be  merely  « literary 
^<  intelligence,'  has  given  great  offence  to  the  men  of  letters 
'« in  the  settlement.  The  consequence  has  been,  that  it  is 
<«  printed  in  the  form  of  a  pamphlet  in  large  4to,  and  in  large 
"  type,  with  Bulmer^s  hlaxe,  and  there  is  added  something 
«  yet  more  offensive,  viz.  the  Oxford  and  Cambridge  notifi- 
<^  cations  of  the  five  hundred  pound  prizes,  (which  were  also 
^<  suppressed  here  ;)  and  \vhat  is  more  offensive  than  the  last, 
«  a  copy  of  the  second  Latin  letter  addressed  to  me  by  the 
*<  University  of  Cambridge,  on  the  subject  of  diffusing  a 
«  knowledge  of  revealed  religion  amongst  the  nations  of 
"  Asia.  This  pamphlet  of  twenty-eight  pages  will  be  ex- 
•<  posed  for  sale  next  week. 

" and  1,   are  on  terms  of  high  civility;  but  he  is  no 

««  friend  to  jny  evangelical  purposes,  and  he  does  not  like  my 
^«  (and  your)  steady  adherence  to  the  principles  of  Lord  W.'s 
<*  administration.     But  I  wish  to  be  at  peace  with  all  men  : 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  349 

^*  and  I  ever  desire  to  conciliate  my  enemies.  I  mean  ene- 
«<  niies  made  by  my  evangelizing  plans,  for  I  have  no  other; 
"  and  perhaps  these  few  in  number. 

'^  The  Christian  tablets,  Syrian  Bible,  and  Hebrew  roll. 
*^are  here  objectsof  great  curiosity.  Mr.  Carey  beheld  them 
"  with  veneration.  The  public  mind  is  strongly  attracted 
«' towards  Malayala;  and  the  wall  between  Hinduism  and 
"  Christianity  seems  to  be  tottering.  You  have  applied  the 
"  battering-ram  to  that  wall  with  good  effect  in  Travancore  ; 
^<  and  I  sincerely  wish  that  you  could  stay  to  give  it  a  few 
"  more  shocks.  But  you  will  be  useful  at  home.  I  go  home 
*«  also ;  but  only  perhaps  for  a  season.  At  least  in  the  pam- 
"  phlet  now  printed  it  is  mentioned  that  I  am  going  home 
•«  overland,  *  for  the  purpose  of  visiting  the  ancient  Christian 
"  churches  in  Mesopotamia  and  Syria,  and  that  I  shall  re- 
"  turn  to  India  in  a  short  time.'  Some  were  ready  to  wish 
"  me  a  good  journey  ;  but  they  did  not  expect  this  last  clause, 
<«  of  returning.  It  has,  however,  given  great  satisfaction, 
"  I  understand,  to  almost  all  the  settlement.     For  you  must 

^<  know  that 's  persecution  (as  it  has  been  called)  of  a 

<<  good  work,  has  procured  it  much  success  and  many  friends. 

*^  is   faithful.     dubious  of  what  is  right.     Sir  H. 

<*  Russel,  Sir  J.  Royds,  and  Sir  W.  Burroughs,  are  all  friend- 
"  ly.  So  is  Mr.  Harington.  The  Malayala  battering-ram 
*<  is  said  to  have  given  C.  a  violent  and  unexpected  shock, 
«  which  is  likely  to  crumble  his  wall  of  hostility  into  the 
"  ruins  of  indifference.     For  so  our  Persians  speak. 

<<  I  have  had  a  letter  from  the  Bishop  of  London,  dated 
"  1st  September  last ;  in  which  he  says,  that  <  it  was  too 
*<  late  last  session  to  bring  forward  tlie  proposition  of  an 
"Ecclesiastical  Establishment  for  British  India;  but  that 
<*  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  intends  to  move  his  Majes- 
« ty's  ministers  on  the  subject  next  session.' 

"  His  Lordship  also  says,  that  money  will  probably  be 
*<  sent  out  to  support  the  great  work  of  translating  the  Scrip- 
*«  tures  into  the  oriental  languages.  Lord  Barhani  writes 
<•  to  the  same  effect  on  both  subjects. 


350  MEMOIRS  OF 

«  I  have  placed  the  young  Malayalim  moonshee  from  Pa- 
"  roor,  in  the  missionary  school  at  Serampore,  where  he  is 
"  very  happy  and  in  good  health.  I  should  be  glad  that 
«  your  writer  would  communicate  this  to  his  mother.  My 
"  Hebrew  moonshee  is  well  also. 

"  Lord  Minto's  arrival  is  anxiously  looked  for  by  this  set- 
«  tlemcnt.     I  shall  write  to  you  again  shortly,  and  remain, 

"  With  much  esteem, 
^<  Yours  sincerely, 
"  C.  Buchanan." 

The  ])lan  of  a  journey  overland  to  Europe,  mentioned  in 
the  preceding  and  in  some  subsequent  letters,  was  proposed 
and  long  cherished  by  Dr.  Buchanan,  not  merely  as  obvia- 
ting his  well  founded  objection  to  a  sea  voyage,  but  as  cal- 
culated to  promote  his  benevolent  researches  into  the  state 
of  the  ancient  and  declining  Christian  churches  in  the  East. 
It  will,  however,  be  seen,  that,  after  many  inquiries,  he 
was  at  length  reluctantly  compelled,  by  political  and  mili- 
tary obstacles,  to  abandon  this  interesting  expedition. 

It  may  seem  extraordinary,  that  of  the  addresses  to  Dr. 
Buchanan  from  the  senate  of  the  University  of  Cambridge, 
no  more  distinct  or  complete  information  should  be  contain- 
ed in  these  Memoirs  than  the  reference  to  the  second  of  them 
in  the  forgoing  letter.  They  probably  expressed  the  sense 
which  that  learned  body  entertained  of  Dr.  Buchanan's  me- 
ritorious exertions  in  promoting  the  interests  of  learning  and 
religion  in  the  East,  and  of  his  munificent  encouragement  of 
those  important  objects  by  the  series  of  prizes  offered  to  the 
members  of  the  University.  No  traces,  however,  of  the  let- 
ters in  question  have  been  discovered  amongst  his  papers; 
nor  is  it  known  that  any  copy  of  the  pamphlet  in  which  the 
second  was  printed  in  India  has  reached  this  country.  It  is 
therefore  only  to  be  regretted  that  no  farther  account  can  be 
given  of  documents  whicli  were,  doubtless,  highly  valued  by 
Dr.  Buchanan,  and  equally  honourable  to  him  and  to  the 
distinguished  body  from  which  they  proceeded*. 

*  The  A^ice-Ciiancellor  of  the  University,  upon   an  application   boing  made  to 
hini  for  copies  of  these  letters,  declined  granting  them. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  351 

Of  the  several  objects  of  Dr.  Buchanan's  late  tour  it  was 
stated  to  be  one,  to  discover  fit  instruments  for  the  promo- 
tion of  learning,  and  for  the  dissemination  of  the  Scriptures 
in  India.  It  may  now  be  observed,  that  it  was  in  the  course 
of  his  journey  that  he  first  thought  of  a  plan  which  might  ef- 
fectually accomplish  that  object.  The  reader  will  probably 
recollect  the  meditation  of  Dr.  Buchanan  on  the  banks  of  the 
Chilka  Lake  ;  where,  on  the  morning  of  the  Sabbath,  while 
reflecting  on  the  painful  scene  which  he  had  just  witnessed, 
with  the  lofty  tower  of  Juggernaut  still  in  distant  view,  he 
conceived  the  design  of  some  Christian  Institution,  which 
might  gradually  counteract,  and  at  length  extinguish,  the 
idolatry  of  the  eastern  world.  The  historian  of  the  Decline 
and  Fall  of  the  Roman  Empire  informs  us,  that  he  first  con- 
ceived the  thought  of  his  elaborate  and  eloquent  work  amidst 
the  ruins  of  the  Capitol.  It  was  an  association  of  a  more 
sublime  and  sacred  nature  which  suggested  to  Dr.  Bu- 
chanan the  design  of  the  Institution,  the  general  plan  of 
which  he  then  briefly  described.  Soon  after  his  return  to 
Calcutta,  he  employed  himself  in  digesting  and  arranging 
its  form  and  constitution;  and  on  the  28th  of  May  he  thus 
adverts  to  the  subject  at  the  close  of  the  following  letter  to 
Colonel  Macaulay. 

«'  My  dear  Sir, 

"  I  had  the  pleasure  to  receive  your  letter  of  the  1st  inst. 
*«  two  days  ago,  accompanying  the  Dutch  translation. 

'« I  am  happy  to  hear  that  you  have  two  Hebrew  books  for 
*«  me.  If  any  thing  interesting  in  Hebrew  or  Syriac,  print- 
<«ed  or  in  manuscript,  should  offer  while  you  remain  on  the 
<^  coast,  I  shall  be  obliged  to  you  to  secure  it  for  me. 

<«  I  presented  the  Bishop's^  demand  on  Baretto's  house, 
<'  and  enclose  the  answer.  My  compliments  to  the  Bishop. 
« I  shall  take  care  of  his  affairs,  and  send  him  cauliflowers 
«*  when  the  season  arrives. 

^'  Dr.  Leyden  proceeds  by  sea  to  Madras  to-morrow.  He 
«  is  in  better  health.     He  has  been  looking  at  a  variety  of 

a  Of  VerapoH. 


3jo  memoirs  of 

"  my  MSS.  lor  some  weeks  past,  but  with  little  success.  He 
«  can  make  notliiiig  of  the  Christian  plates  ;  but  means  to 
«<  renew  iiis  attack  on  the  Malayalim  part  of  them  when  he 
^'  arrives  at  Madras.  He  thinks  the  old  Syriac  Bible  on 
•<  vellum  is  as  early  as  the  fifth  or  sixth  century.  But  that 
"  is  certainly  too  high  a  period. 

••  The  Indus  sails  as  a  packet  for  England  in  a  few  days. 
•*  I  have  said  in  a  letter,  that  you  are  meditating  your  re- 
*«  turn  this  season.  By  the  Indus  I  send  home  a  small  work 
•*  for  publication ;  not  in  relation  to  Malabar,  but  to  Jug- 
•<  gernaut ;  nor  to  him  directly,  but  to  a  Literary  Institution, 
"  whose  object  shall  be  to  promote  Christian  knowledge  in 
••  Asia  by  means  of  books;  which  Institution  shall  be  exclu- 
"  sievly  literary,  and  shall  have  no  connection  with  any 
"  mission  society.  The  Institution  already  exists,  and  is  in 
*<  extensive  operation.  I  shall  copy  the  heads  of  the  sections 
•*  on  the  opposite  page.     Nothing  yet  from  England ! 

"  I  remain, 
"  My  dear  Sir, 

a  Very  sincerely  yours, 
"  C.  Buchanan." 

Instead  of  inserting  the  short  sketch  to  which  Dr.  Bu- 
chanan refers,  it  will  be  more  satisfactory  to  give  a  fuller 
abstract  of  a  work,  which,  though  printed,  it  was  afterwards 
deemed  not  expedient  to  publish.  The  title  was  as  follows. 
*«  Tlie  Christian  Institution  in  the  East :  or  the  College  for 
*<  translating  the  Holy  Scriptures  into  the  Oriental  Tongues." 

The  origin  and  objects  of  the  Institution  were  described 
nearly  in  the  terms  of  the  preceding  letter.  It  was  dedica- 
ted to  all  good  men,  to  be  an  instrument  in  their  hands  of 
extending  ihe  knowledge  of  revealed  religion  by  the  trans- 
lation of  the  holy  Scriptures,  and  was  placed  under  the  im- 
mediate patronage  of  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  as  Pre- 
sident of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  in 
Foreign  Parts,  and  of  tlie  Society  for  promoting  Christian 
Knowledge.     One  of  its  subordinate  objects  was  to  print 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  353 

small  tracts  on  certain  branches  of  art  and  science,  fitted 
for  popular  use  and  improvement. 

The  various  instruments  of  the  institution  were  next  enu- 
merated; comprising  tlic  venerable  Bishop  of  the  Syrian 
Church  in  Malayala;  the  British  and  Danish  missionaries 
throughout  India;  JudaU  Misrahi,  a  learned  Jew  of  Cochin, 
engaged  by  Dr.  Bucl\anan  as  a  translator  of  tl»e  New  Tes- 
tament into  Hebrew  ;  Professor  Lassar  for  the  Chinese  lan- 
guage ;  and  the  late  Rev.  Henry  Martyn,  with  two  learned 
coadjutors,  natives  of  the  East,  for  the  Persian,  Arabic,  and 
Hindostanee  languages.  With  the  exception  of  Mr.  Martyn, 
who  arrived  at  Calcutta  during  the  absence  of  Dr.  Buchan- 
an, he  stated  that  he  had  visited  all  the  before-named  per- 
sons at  their  respective  residences,  and  had  informed  him- 
self as  to  their  abilities  and  principles. 

It  was  not  intended  to  form  an  expensive  establishment : 
but  that  a  professor  should  be  stationed  as  a  literary  agent 
of  the  college  in  each  of  the  principal  provinces  of  the  East, 
to  study  a  particular  language,  to  collect  information,  to 
correspond  with  the  Society  at  home,  to  compose  and  to  print 
books,  and  to  instruct  the  natives  in  printing.  The  literary 
agents  were  in  general  to  be  paid  for  work  done;  that  is, 
for  translations  or  for  printing,  previously  agreed  for,  and 
faithfully  executed.  Care  was  also  to  be  taken,  that,  in 
cases  where  translations  of  the  Scriptures  should  be  entrust- 
ed to  the  members  of  any  particular  sect,  their  exclusive 
tenets  should  not  find  admission  into  the  work. 

Dr.  Buchanan  proposed,  that  the  name  of  the  Institution 
should  not  be  derived  from  any  church  or  sect  in  Europe,  but 
from  the  religion  itself,  the  knowledge  of  which  it  was  in- 
tended to  diffuse ;  and  that  the  instruments  which  it  would 
recognize  in  promoting  this  great  design  should  be  of  all 
naticms. 

He  next  observed,  that  in  order  to  secure  its  resources 
from  failure,  and  that  there  might  always  be  a  copious  sup- 
ply of  fit  persons  for  the  work,  it  was  expedient,  that  the  In- 
stitution should  possess  an  organized  body  in  England,  and 
that  its  establishment  should  be  sufficiently  respectable  to  at^ 

V  2 


354  MEMOIRS  OF 

tach  to  it  men  of  rank  and  learning.  Tlie  college  of  the 
Propaganda  at  Rome  owed  its  efficiency  and  perpetuity 
chiefly  to  its  liberal  establishment. 

Dr.  Buchanan  grounded  the  necessity  and  importance  of 
this  Christian  Institution  upon  a  view  of  the  present  state  of 
the  Brahminical  superstition  at  the  chief  temples  of  the  Hin- 
doos, and  particularly  at  Juggernaut ;  and  in  order  to  con- 
vey to  his  readers  in  England  some  idea  of  the  spirit  and  ef- 
fects of  the  religion  of  Brahma,  he  added  some  extracts  from 
the  journal  of  his  visit  to  that  place. 

Provision  was  made  for  the  transmission  of  copies  of  every 
work  published  by  the  Institution  in  India  to  certain  libra- 
ries in  Great  Britain ;  and  it  was  stated,  that  thirty -one  vol- 
umes had  accordingly  been  forwarded  by  the  packet  which 
conveyed  the  work  in  question.  It  was  added,  that  Dr.  Bu- 
chanan would  for  the  present  continue  to  superintend  the  af- 
fairs of  the  Institution. 

Such  is  the  outline  of  the  college  for  oriental  translation 
conceived  by  Dr.  Buchanan.  His  intention,  in  short,  was 
to  establish  a  British  Propaganda,  which,  in  proportion  to 
the  extent  of  its  objects,  should  be  superior  to  that  at  Rome, 
the  fame  of  which  still  survives  in  Asia.  Objections  would 
probably  have  occurred  to  different  persons  with  respect  to 
some  of  the  provisions  of  this  Institution;  and  it  was  obvi- 
ously never  considered  by  its  author  as  incapable  of  altera- 
tion and  improvement.  Its  design  and  general  plan  were 
undoubtedly  excellent,  and  would,  probably,  have  been  re- 
ceived with  much  approbation. 

Upon  its  original  formation*.  Dr.  Buchanan  proposed  to 
the  Baptist  missionaries  at  Serampore,  as  extensively  en- 
gaged in  translating  the  Scriptures,  that  they  should  ac- 
cordingly associate,  merely  in  that  character,  with  other 
fellow-labourers,  in  different  parts  of  India ;  that  the  mis- 
sionary pursuits,  properly  so  called,  and  the  individual  es- 
tablishments of  each  society,  should  remain  peculiar  and 
private,  as  before;  but  that  the  translators  of  the  Scriptures 

«  See  his  Apology  for  promoting  Christianity  in  India,  p.  70» 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  355 

should  act  in  concert,  and  maintain  an  amicable  correspond- 
ence with  each  other,  under  the  general  direction  of  the  su- 
perintendent, who  would  be  responsible  for  the  views  and 
proceedings  of  the  Institution  at  large.  The  intention  of 
this  proposal  was  clearly  not  to  supersede  the  meritorious 
labours  of  the  Baptist  missionaries;  but  to  render  them 
more  effective,  by  incorporating  them  in  one  great  and  com- 
prehensive  plan  for  the  same  important  object,  and  by  res- 
cuing their  operations  from  the  appearance  of  any  thing 
private  or  sectarian,  and  investing  the  united  labours  of  the 
learned  translators  throughout  India  with  a  more  public 
and  national  character. 

It  may,  readily  be  imagined,  that  the  Society  at  Seram- 
pore  might  feel  some  hesitation  and  even  reluctance  in  ac- 
ceding to  this  proposition,  after  the  publicity  which  Dr.  Bu- 
chanan had  given  to  their  extensive  plan  of  oriental  transla- 
tion; and  it  was,  perhaps,  expecting  too  much,  that  they 
should  voluntarily  abandon  the  <*  vantage  ground"  which 
they  were  thus  occupying.  However  this  may  be,  the  Bap- 
tist missionaries  declined  the  proposal;  and  the  name  of 
"  the  Christian  Institution"  was  in  consequence  but  par- 
tially assumed.  The  other  branches  of  which  it  was  intend- 
ed to  be  composed,  including,  besides  those  already  named, 
one  of  the  most  distinguished  oriental  scholars  of  the  present 
a^e,  the  late  learned  and  lamented  Dr.  Leyden,  who  un- 
dertook the  translation  of  the  Scriptures  into  the  several 
dialects  of  the  Malayan  Archipelago,  were  generally  asso- 
ciated after  Dr.  Buchanan's  departure  from  India,  under 
the  superintendence  of  the  late  Rev.  Mr.  Brown. 

The  "  Christian  Institution"  was,  however,  carried  but 
very  imperfectly  into  execution.  On  the  arrival  of  the  manu- 
script in  England,  though  it  was  printed  in  pursuance  of 
Dr.  Buchanan's  instructions,  some  of  his  friends,  to  whom 
the  work  was  communicated,  conceived  that  its  publication 
was  inexpedient,  and  might  even  produce  consequences  in- 
jurious to  tiie  general  cause  of  Christianity  in  India.  Un- 
der these  impressions,  they  took  upon  themselves  to  suppress 
the  publication  of  the  work,   more  especially  as  Dr.  Bu- 


356 


MEMOIRS  OF 


chanan  had  announced  his  intention  of  returning;  to  this  coun-  ' 
try  in  the  course  of  the  following  year.     Their  determina- 
tion was,  doubtless,  guided  by  a  sincere  desire  to  promote 
the  great  object  of  his  labours  ;  and  it  will   be  seen  that  he 
acquiesced  in  their  judgment. 

AVith  respect  to  the  main  design  of  the  Christian  Institu- 
tion, as  a  college  of  acknowledged  responsibility,  embracing 
the  associated  learning  and  piety  of  the  East  for  the  grand 
purpose  of  sacred  translation,  and  possessing  commanding 
patronage,  effective  support,  and  enlarged  superintendance 
and  control,  the  failure  of  its  establishment  can  scarcely  be 
considered  but  as  a  subject  of  regret.  The  munificent  do- 
nations of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  to  its  cor- 
responding Committee  in  Bengal,  combined  witli  the  exer- 
tions of  its  eastern  auxiliary  branches,  and  those  of  other 
societies,  have  undoubtedly  promoted,  to  a  very  splendid 
extent,  the  work  of  oriental  translation.  It  is,  however, 
well  known,  that  various  circumstances,  inseparable  from 
private  and  unconnected  labours,  have  hitherto  impeded  its 
more  complete  and  successful  execution  ;  nor  is  it  probable 
that  these  will  ever  be  removed,  but  by  recurring  to  the 
general  plan  so  ably  and  comprehensively  conceived  and 
developed  by  Dr.  Buchanan  in  his  **  Christian  Institu- 
^<  tion." 

Of  the  fate  of  this  elaborate  plan  in  England,  its  author 
was  necessarily  ignorant.  He  continued,  therefore,  to  men- 
tion it,  amongst  other  topics,  in  his  succeeding  letters  to  his 
friends,  as  if  in  the  course  of  execution. 

On  the  9th  of  June,  Dr.  Buchanan  thus  wrote  to  Colonel 
Macaulay. 

*»  My  dear  Sir, 
••  1  yesterday  received  your  letter  of  the  10th  of  May,  en- 
•*  closing  the  regulation  against  spiritual  encroachments. 
••  It  is  admirably  done,  and  the  Bishop  of  Verapoli  is  saved. 
••  Your  continuance  in  Travancore  is  important,  if  it  refer- 
•»  red  to  nothing  else  than  the  ecclesiastical  concerns  of  the 
*  countrv. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  357 

"  I  am  happy  you  stay  a  little  longer  on  the  coast.  1 
<^  shall  hope  to  see  you  in  November  or  December.  All 
"  and  every  thing  you  have  sent  tVom  the  archives  of  Vera- 
•«  poll  is  interesting  and  important.  Your  account  of  the 
•«  translation  of  the  Scriptures  gives  me  and  others  here 
»<  much  pleasure.     That  work  will  prosper, 

"  The  Turk  impedes  my  plan  of  route.  I  now  propose 
••  to  go  through  Armenia.  I  have  ever  been  very  desirous 
••  to  visit  the  Armenian  churches.  But  I  have  not  determi- 
*'  ned  what  I  shall  do ;  for  we  may  expect  many  a  revolu- 
"  tion  before  January  next. 

"  The  Tinavelly  impostor  is  one  of  many  wiio  are  lifting 
•^  up  their  voices  in  the  desert.  This  is  an  age  for,  *  Lo 
"  here,  and  lo  there.'  There  is  a  luxation  in  all  the  joints 
«^  of  the  Brahminical  superstition,  and  the  Wahabian  philo- 
<^  sophy  is  eating  out  Mohamedanism,  as  doth  a  canker. 

*'The  copper-plates  are  arrived  at  the  custom-house  here. 
"  I  shall  have  them  to-day.  I  am  greatly  obliged  to  you 
♦^  for  this  rapid  transmission  of  them. 

<'  I  thank  Mr.  Clephane  for  his  friendly  proposal  as  to 
'<  the  types.  I  shall  confer  with  Mr.  Kolhoff  on  that  subject. 
*<  A  fount  must  be  cut ;  that  is  certain.  And  from  this 
*«  fountain  will  flow  a  clear  and  living  stream  for  the  souls 
•*  of  men.  I  have  despatched  to  the  Archbishop  of  Canter- 
"  bury,  by  the  Indus,  a  copy  of  St.  Matthew's  Gospel  in 
«  Chinese,  and  two  of  the  Gospels  in  Shanscrit. 

**  I  shall  be  obliged  to  your  writer  to  inform  Timapah 
*f  Pulle,  (who  is  now  employed  in  translation  at  Candenad,) 
« that  I  have  received  his  letter ;  that  I  am  pleased  with 
*•  his  services  ;  that  if  Colonel  Macaulay  deems  it  reasona- 
<'ble  to  add  the  Burdella  Brahmin  lie  speaks  of  to  the  list  of 
"  translators,  I  shall  approve  of  it ;  tliat  I  am  happy  he 
<'  (T.  Pulle)  begins  to  conside*'  the  Christian  religion  the 
"  true  faith ;  and  that  I  will  stand  his  godfather,  agreeably 
•*  to  his  request,  if  he  should  prove  worthy  ;  that  I  shall  be 
»*  glad  to  hear  £rom  him  again,  and  that  he  may  write  to 
"  me  in  Malayalim,  as  I  have  an  interpreter  in  Calcutta : 
"  and  that  the  young  man,  his  relation,  who  lives  with  him 


358  MEMOIRS  OF 

«•  at  Candcnad,  may  receive  from  Colonel  Macaulay  six  ru- 
<«  pees  per  month,  and  arrears  from  the  time  of  his  own  ap- 
<*  pointment,  if  he  can  shew  that  the  lad  is  useful  to  him  in 
•*  his  work. 

"  I  remain 

"  My  dear  Sir, 

^'  Very  sincerely  yours, 

<j  C.  Buchanan." 

In  the  course  of  the  ensuing  month.  Lord  Minto,  who  had 
long  been  expected,  arrived  as  Governor  General  in  Bengal. 
In  a  letter  to  Colonel  Macaulay,  on  the  17th  of  August,  Dr. 
Buchanan  notices  his  Lordship's  good  example,  and  attend- 
ance on  divine  worship,  and  his  attention  to  himself.  *<  He 
<<  wishes  me,''  he  adds,  <*  to  communicate  fully  with  him  on 
«  all  the  subjects  which  he  knows  have  long  engaged  my  at- 
<<tcntion."  A  subsequent  paragraph  in  this  letter  thus  men- 
tions another  very  meritorious  ecclesiastical  servant  of  the 
Company  in  India. 

« I  have  not  seen  the  publication  of  Dr.  Kerr,  to  which 
«  you  allude."  This  was  probably  the  account  of  the  St. 
Thome  Christians,  the  Syro-Romish,  and  the  Latin  church 
in  India,  which  was  drawn  up  by  that  excellent  man  by  or- 
der of  the  Madras  government.* 

"But,"  continues  Dr.  Buchanan,  "I  received  from  him 
*<  yesterday  his  *  Letter  to  Lord  William  Bentinck,'  on  the 
<<  subject  of  chaplains,  printed  and  sent  home  by  the  Indus. 
'<  Dr.  Kerr  is  an  ardent  and  useful  friend  of  the  Christian 
«  religion  ;  and  I  think  the  Court  w  ill  make  him  one  of 
<«  his  proposed  vicars-general,  or  perhaps  his  suffragan 
'i  bishop." 

It  appears,  therefore,  that  the  necessity  of  an  enlarged 
ecclesiastical  establishment  in  India  had  occurred  simulta- 
neously to  Dr.  Buchanan  and  to  Dr.  Kerr.  The  latter  zeal- 
ous and  laborious  chaplain,  however,  did  not  survive  long 
onough  to  receive  any  additional   authority,  even  supposing 

a  Sec  the  Christian  Observer,  vol.  vi.  p.  751,  and  Christian  Researches,  p.  146,   . 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  359 

that  it  would  have  been  conferred  upon  him.^     His  honour 
and  his  reward  are  in  heaven. 

Dr.  Buchanan's  next  letter  to  Colonel  Macaulay  is  dated 
September  15th,  and  contains  some  interesting  notices  res- 
pecting his  intended  journey  overland  to  Europe,  and  the 
progress  of  the  Malayalim  translation  of  the  Scriptures.  It 
refers,  however,  at  the  close,  to  a  painful  subject,  which  is 
afterwards  more  fully  explained. 

"  My  dear  Sir, 

^^  I  had  the  pleasure  to  receive  the  copies  of  your  corres- 
'^  pondence  with  government  regarding  the  discipline  of  the 
^<  churches.  Every  additional  letter  you  write  on  that  sub- 
*<  ject  is  an  additional  pin  to  the  tabernacle. 

<*  If  I  should  go  by  Persia,  I  am  prepared  to  spend  twelve 
'i  thousand  rupees  in  presents.  But  I  hope  to  be  able  to 
'^  travel  by  the  route  of  Bussorah,  Mosul,  and  Aleppo.  I 
« proceed  to  Bombay  in  the  Metcalfe,  Captain  Isaacke, 
•<  who  will  sail  from  this  place  about  the  10th  or  15th  of  the 
«  next  month,  October.  If  practicable,  he  will  set  me  down 
<«  at  Cochin.  If  not,  I  shall  first  arrange  matters  at  Bom- 
"  bay,  and  then  come  down  to  Goa  (which  I  wish  much  to 
<«  visit)  and  to  Cochin. 

<«  I  am  greatly  obliged  to  you  for  your  letter  of  the  2d  of 
"  August,  containing  Colonel  Capper's  sentiments  on  a  jour- 
«  ney  through  Persia  and  Armenia.  His  remarks  are  highly 
« interesting,  and  may  be  useful  to  me  hereafter.  I  am 
«'  more  afraid  of  the  French  than  of  the  Persians. 

"  I  am  happy  at  the  arrival  of  the  Pontifical  Bull.  A 
*<  Protestant  Christian  happy  at  the  arrival  of  the  Pope's 
<<  Bull !  Tell  it  not  to  the  Church  of  England  or  to  the  Kirk 
"  of  Scotland.  Yea,  I  am  happy,  even  though  the  object  of 
"  it  be  a  rosy  bishop,  who  delights  to  quaff  the  essence  of 
<«  sura  ;  for  I  hope  through  the  medium  of  this  bishop  to 
"  diffuse  the  holy  Scriptures  among  thousands  of  my  fellow- 
«  creatures. 

a  For  an  account  of  this  truly  pions  man,  see  %ha  Christian  Obsei-ver,  vol.  xi.  p.  80. 


i^Q  MEMOIRS  OF 

**  AVitliin  the  last  few  days  arrived  your  eight  packets  of 
*'  the  holy  Gospels,  translated  into  the  Malayalim  language. 
*<  They  have  been  contemplated  with  mingled  affection  and 
*«  admiration  by  the  missionary  corps.  David  Grant  is  now 
«  employed  in  reading  them  through,  and  prefixing  the  titles 
*'to  the  books,  and  numbering  the  chapters  in  English. 
'<  People  wonder  here  at  this  rapid  fruit  of  my  visit  to  Ma- 
"  layala.     But  yours  is  the  praise,  not  mine. 

"  As  we  have  no  fount  of  Malayalim  types  ready  cut  in 
<•  Bengal,  I  mean  to  take  the  MS.  with  me  to  Bombay,  and 
**  to  have  it  printed  there  under  the  superintendance  of  Sir 
•«  James  Mackintosh. 

«  The  translators  may  take  their  rest  now  for  a  little 
"  while.  Until  we  can  ascertain  the  accuracy  of  the  trans- 
"  lation  of  the  Gospels,  we  need  not  proceed  to  the  Epistles. 
*'  You  may  therefore  settle  accounts  with  the  translators. 
"  I  request  you  will  thank  them  in  my  name  for  what  has 
<*  been  done,  and  inform  them,  that  I  expect  they  will  shortly 
*<  resume  their  operations. 

^'  I  beg  you  will  remember  me  to  Dr.  Macaulay,  and  to 
"  Mr.  Hughes,  the  philosopher  of  the  mountains.  I  fear  he 
•*  cannot  tell  me  yet  the  mode  in  which  a  rock  snake  is 
•*  killed  by  the  hunters. 

"  I  am  on  the  eve,  I  fear,  of  a  rupture  with  this  govern- 
•<  ment.  The  cause  is  the  Gospel.  They  are  endeavouring 
•<  to  restrain  the  exertions  of  the  missionaries  in  Bengal.  I 
«  have  not  yet  interfered.  And  I  trust  it  will  not  be  neces- 
<<  sary ;  for  I  love  peace,  and  not  war;  particularly  at  the 
«  moment  of  my  leaving  the  country.  But  I  shall  do  my 
^<  duty,  and  leave  the  event  to  God. 

<i  1  am, 

**  My  dear  Sir, 

"  Yours  sincerely, 
^'  C.  Buchanan." 

On  the  22d  of  September,  Dr.  Buchanan  wrote  to  his  two 
daughters.  The  following  passage  from  his  letter  alludes 
to  their  lamented  mother  in  a  peculiarly  affecting  manner. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  36I 

*<  I  am  now  about  to  quit  India,  and  to  go  home  to  see 
**  you.  I  propose  to  leave  Calcutta  in  tlie  course  of  next 
**  month.  If  I  find  it  dangerous  to  go  home  overland,  I 
"  shall  proceed  from  Bombay  by  sea.  I  shall  probably  sail 
"  over  those  waters  vvliere  your  dear  motlier  lies.  Do  you 
"  not  know,  that  at  the  resurrection  of  the  dead  she  will 
"  come  forth  with  a  ^  glorious  body  ?'  Though  it  be  <  sown 
"  in  dishonour,  it  is  raised  in  glory.'  Of  this  you  may  read 
*' in  the  Bible,  and  in  the  Burial  Service.  Your  mother 
**  will  come  forth  with  a  *  glorious  body  ;'  for  she  was  a  good 
*'  woman,  and  remembered  her  Creator  in  tke  days  of  lier 
<«  youth.  Perhaps  I  shall  die  too  before  I  reach  England. 
<^  You  ought  thereforie  to  pray  that  God  would  preserve  my 
^<life,  if  it  be  his  will,  (for  I  desire  to  do  his  will  in  all 
"  things,)  that  I  may  see  you,  and  shew  you  the  affection 
«  of  a  father,  and  receive  the  affection  of  daughters,  and 
<*  lead  you  onward  with  myself  to  that  happy  state,  whither. 
"  your  mother  is  gone  before  you." 

It  is  gratifying  to  reflect,  that  this  affectionate  and  pious 
father  was  permitted  to  realize  the  delightful  prospect  which 
he  thus  anticipated.  The  following  extract  is  from  a  letter 
to  Colonel  Macaulay,  which  occurs  shortly  afterwards. 

"Calcutta,  12th  Oct.  1807. 

«^  Your  letters  of  the  13th  and  15th  ult.  arrived  on  this 
*'  day.  I  have  perused  with  pleasure  and  pain  your  public 
"letter  on  the  subject  of  expenditure  at  your  residency; 
"  with  pain,  that  your  resources  have  been  so  scanty,  and 
"  your  fortune  little  ;  with  pleasure,  that  you  have  upheld 
"  your  character  with  such  dignity,  and  have  repelled  the 
^«  insinuations  of  ignorance  with  such  temperance  and  effect. 
<<  The  highest  compliment  I  can  pay  you,  (and  1  seldom  pay 
*i  compliments,)  is  to  say,  <  That  every  word  in  your  letter 
<«  will  be  believed  by  the  Honourable  Court.' 

<*  The  attack  I  announced  to  you  in  my  last  has  not  been 
"  yet  made.  I  wish  you  were  at  my  side  during  the  storm. 
•'«  I  have  friends,  but  they  are  not  soldiers.     I  am  the  forlorn 

z  2 


363  xMEMOIRS  OF 

*•  h()j)e,   ami  yet  I  have  not  twelve  men.     Nay  more,  my 
"  friends  toll  me  I  shall  certainly  be  killed. 

*'  The  assault  however  must  be  made,  but  whether  by  si- 
»<  lent  escalade  at  the  midniglit  watch,  or  by  heavy  and  hot 
<•  battery  at  noon-day,  I  have  not  yet  determined.  I  think 
*<  the  latter.  You  shall  hear  in  a  letter  dated  on  or  about 
•<  the  1st  of  November,  mt  vivente,  et  Deo  voltnUJ''' 

The  rupture  with  the  supreme  government,  to  which  Dr. 
Buchanan  refers  in  the  preceding  letters,  was  of  so  serious 
and  unpleasant  a  nature,  and  is  so  closely  connected  with  the 
illustration  of  his  character,  that  it  demands  some  farther 
explanation. 

Not  long  after  his  return  from  the  coast  of  Malabar,  Dr. 
Buchanan  preached  a  series  of  discourses  in  the  Presidency 
church  on  the  subject  of  the  Christian  prophecies,  which 
proved  so  acceptable  to  some  of  the  congregation,  that  they 
expressed  a  wish  that  he  would  permit  them  to  be  printed  ; 
observing,  that  as  he  was  about  to  return  to  Europe,  they 
hoped  he  would  bequeath  tiiese  discourses,  as  a  parting 
memorial  to  his  friends.  To  this  request  Dr.  Buchanan 
acceded,  and  accordingly  made  preparations  for  their  pub- 
lication. These  sermons  related  chiefly  to  the  Divine  pre- 
dictions concerning  the  future  universal  propagation  of  the 
Gospel ;  and  were  intended  to  excite  the  public  attention 
to  that  important  subject,  as  wel?  as  to  animate  and  encou- 
rage those  who  from  the  purest  motives  were  labouring  to 
promote  the  knowledge  of  Christianity  in  India.  Nothing 
could  be  more  legitimate  or  laudable  than  such  a  design, 
conducted  as  it  was  by  Dr.  Buchanan,  not  in  the  spirit  of 
violence  and  fanaticism,  but  of  calm  discussion,  and  reason- 
able and  benevolent  exertion.  On  transmitting,  however, 
an  advertisement  to  the  government  gazette,  announcing  the 
intended  publication  of  his  discourses,  Dr.  Buchanan  was 
surprised  to  find,  that  the  insertion  of  it  was  refused  ;  and 
that  an  order  had  been  issued  to  the  printers  of  the  other 
newspapers,  forbidding  them  to  publisli  the  obnoxious  notice. 
Shortly  afterwards  he  received  a  letter  from  the  Chief  Sec- 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  368 

retary  to  the  Presidency,  desiring,  that  lie  would  transmit 
the  manuscript  of  his  sermons  on  the  Prophecies  for  the  in- 
spection of  government.  To  this  unexpected  demand,  Dr. 
Buchanan  gave  no  immediate  answer.  It  had  long  been 
the  subject  of  painful  observation  to  him,  that  on  the  depar- 
ture of  the  Marquis  Wcllesley,  during  whose  administra- 
tion the  spirit  of  promoting  learning  and  religion  in  India 
liad  been  general  and  ardent,  a  directly  contrary  disposition 
was  manifested  ;  as  if  it  had  been  previously  restrained  by 
his  presence.  This  first  appeared  under  the  administra- 
tion of  Sir  George  Barlow,  and  had  been  acquiring  strength 
ever  siiice.  Lord  Minto  had  now  assumed  the  supreme 
government ;  and  as  several  measures  were  adopted  which 
appeared  to  Dr.  Buchanan  to  operate  very  unfavourably  for 
the  interests  both  of  learning  and  religion,  he  deemed  it  his 
duty,  before  he  quitted  Bengal,  to  address  a  memorial  to  his 
Lordship,  in  wliich  he  particularly  directed  his  attention  to 
the  character  and  tendency  of  those  measures ;  and,  in  so 
doing,  explained  his  reasons  for  declining  to  comply  with 
the  wishes  of  government  respecting  his  sermons  on  the 
Prophecies.  The  memorial  was  introduced  to  Lord  Minto 
by  the  following  letter. 

<^  To  the  Right  Honourable  Lord  Minto,  c^c,  <^x,  S^c, 
*«  My  Lord, 

"  I  beg  leave  respectfully  to  submit  to  your  Lordship  some 
*^  particulars  regarding  the  present  state  of  the  Christian 
"  religion  in  Bengal,  which  I  have  thought  it  my  duty  to 
*<  communicate  for  your  Lordship's  information  at  this  time. 

«I  trust  you  will  do  me  the  justice  to  believe,  that  it  is 
«  with  the  utmost  reluctance  I  trouble  your  Lordship  with  a 
•'  letter  on  such  a  subject  so  soon  after  your  entrance  on  this 
^<  government,  when  as  yet  few,  if  any,  of  the  circumstan- 
<<  ces  noticed  in  it  can  have  come  to  your  Lordship's  know- 
*<  ledge. 

<«  I  have  no  other  view  in  soliciting  your  attention  to  them, 
•<  but  the  advancement  of  learning  and  religion.  Perhaps 
"  no  one  has  addressed  your  Lordship  on  the  subject  since 


3(54  MEMOIRS  OF 

•^  your  arrival ;  and  there  are  certainly  many  particulars, 
**  regarding  their  present  state,  which  it  is  of  importance 
'^  your  Lordship  should  know. 

'<  Being  about  to  leave  India,  I  feared  lest  I  should  here- 
•«  after  reproach  myself,  if  I  withheld  any  thing  at  this  time 
•*  which  I  conceived  might  be  useful,  particularly  as  I  have 
•<  been  further  encouraged  to  address  your  Lordship,  by  your 
<^  known  condescension  in  receiving  any  communications 
<*  which  are  honestly  intended. 

<*  I  have  the  honour  to  be, 
«  My  Lord, 

"  With  much  respect, 
"  Your  most  obedient, 
'<  Humble  Servant, 

"  C.  Buchanan." 

"Calcutta,  9tli  Nov.  1807." 

The  memoi'ial,  which  accompanied  the  preceding  letter, 
and  which  was  published  some  years  afterwards*  by  Dr. 
Buchanan,  in  his  own  vindication  and  defence,  evinces,  as  it 
has  been  well  observed,  "  the  temperate  firmness  of  a  man, 
♦«  who  knowing  that  the  Gospel  is  the  power  of  God  unto 
"  salvation,  is  neither  ashamed  to  profess,  nor  afraid  to  de- 
^^  fend  it."  It  is  introduced  by  a  statement  of  the  circum- 
stances which  have  been  just  mentioned,  as  having  led  to 
this  address  to  the  Governor  General.  Dr.  Buchanan  gave 
full  credit  to  the  officers  of  his  Lordship's  government,  of 
whose  conduct  respecting  the  Christian  religion  he  com- 
plained, that  they  were  acting  according  to  the  best  of  their 
judgment;  but  adds,  with  much  force  and  propriety  of  ex- 
pression, *«  not  to  promote  Christianity  may,  in  certain  cir- 
«  cumstances,  be  prudent ;  but  to  repress  Christianity,  will 
«  not,  I  think,  in  any  case,  be  defended."  In  proof  of  such 
a  spirit  of  iiostility  to  the  progress  of  the  Gospel  in  India, 
which  is  the  main  subject  of  his  Memorial,  Dr.  Buchanan 
specified  the  four  following  facts.  ^*  First,  the  withdrawing 
''  of  the  patronage  of  government  from  the  translation  of  the 

a  See  his  Apology  for  promoting  Christianity  in  India. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  365 

"  Holy  Scriptures  into  the  oriental  tongues."  <*  Second,  at- 
<'  tempting  to  suppress  the  translation  of  the  Scriptures.'* 
««  Third,  suppressing  the  encomium  of  the  Honourable  the 
<<  Court  of  Directors  on  the  venerable  missionary,  the  Rev. 
*<  Mr.  Swartz  :"  and,  **  Fourth,  restraining  the  Protestant 
"  missionaries  in  Bengal  from  the  exercise  of  their  functions, 
<^  and  establishing  an  imprimatur  for  theological  works.'* 

The  truth  of  the  two  first  of  the  preceding  allegations  has 
been  already  proved  by  the  course  of  these  Memoirs,  and 
needs  therefore  no  additional  confirmation.  The  third  rests 
upon  the  simple  fact,  that  the  Bengal  government,  instead  of 
following  the  example  of  those  of  Madras  and  Bombay,  in 
giving  publicity  to  the  honourable  testimony  which  had  been 
recently  borne  by  the  Court  of  Directors  to  the  merits  of 
the  venerable  Swartz,  in  sending  out  to  Fort  St.  George  a 
marble  monument  to  his  memory,  with  a  suitable  inscrip- 
tion, which  was  ordered  to  be  translated  into  the  languages 
of  the  country,  had  chosen  to  pass  over  the  whole  transaction 
in  silence ;  and  had  aggravated  this  neglect,  by  permitting 
the  insertion  of  an  article  in  the  Calcutta  gazette,  "  the  ob- 
<«  vious  tendency  of  which  was  to  bring  the  character  and 
*<  labours  of  the  Christian  missionary  into  contempt." 

On  the  fourth  head  of  the  complaint  preferred  by  Dr.  Bu- 
chanan in  his  Memorial,  it  will  be  necessary  to  be  somewhat 
more  particular.  The  success  of  the  protestant  mission  in 
Bengal,  Dr.  Buchanan  affirmed  to  have  been  long  a  source 
of  uneasiness  to  those  officers  of  government  who  did  not 
think  it  right  to  attempt  the  conversion  of  the  natives.  And 
some  of  the  native  moonshees,  attached  to  the  public  offices, 
knowing  the  sentiments  of  their  superiors,  were  not  back- 
ward in  seizing  any  occasion  to  complain  of  the  missiona- 
ries, which  might  be  presented  to  them.  Some  clamour  of 
this  kind  had  been  raised  at  two  different  times  within  a  few 
years,  but  had  passed  away  without  offence  to  the  Christian 
religion.  The  complaint  of  the  moonshees  against  the  mis- 
sionaries on  the  latter  occasion  was,  that  they  had  in  a  cer- 
tain tract  "  applied  abusive  epithets  to  Mahomet."  This 
tract,  being  an  account  of  the  life  of  Mahomet  composed  by 


366  MEMOIRS  OF 

a  native  convert,  had  issued  from  the  missionary  press  at 
Serampore,  but  without  the  knowledge  of  the  missionaries 
themselves. 

In  commenting  on  this  charge.  Dr.  Buchanan  observed, 
•<  the  missionaries  certainly  mistake  the  proper  method  of 
•<  convincing  the  minds  of  men,  if  they  use  epithets  of 
•<  abuse ;  the  successful  method  of  preaching  is  by  argument 
"  and  affectionate  address ;  and  I  presume  this  has  been 
*<  their  general  method  during  the  fourteen  years  of  their 
"  mission. 

"  At  the  same  time.  Christian  teachers  are  not  to  speak 
"  with  reverence  or  courtesy  of  J^uggernaut  or  Mahomet : 
<<  they  must  speak  as  the  Scriptures  speak ;  that  is,  of  false 
<«  gods  as  false  gods,  and  of  a  lying  prophet  as  a  lying  pro- 
'<  phet.  The  Mahometans  apply  abusive  epithets  and  vul- 
*<  gar  curses  to  the  idolatry  of  the  Hindoos,  and  to  the 
"  faith  of  Christians ;  and  these  epithets  are  contained  in 
«  books ;  the  government  might,  on  the  same  principle,  have 
<^  been  assailed  with  the  petitions  of  Christians  and  Hindoos 
<^  against  the  Mahometans." 

The  complaint,  however,  of  the  Mohamedans  produced 
various  restrictions  on  the  proceedings  of  the  missionaries, 
which  were  defended  on  the  plea  that  the  public  faith  had 
been  pledged  to  leave  the  natives  in  the  undisturbed  exer- 
cise of  their  religions.  If  by  not  disturbing  the  natives  in 
the  exercise  of  their  religion,  it  is  meant  that  we  are  to  use 
no  means  for  diffusing  Christianity  among  them  ;  then,  ob- 
served Dr.  Buchanan,  <*this  pledge  has  been  violated  by 
**  every  government  in  India,  and  has  been  systematically 
»<  broken  by  the  East  India  Company,  from  the  year  1698 
«  to  the  present  time.  The  charter  of  1698  expressly  sti- 
»*  pulates  that  they  shall  use  means  to  instruct  the  Gentoos, 
<<  &c.  in  the  Christian  religion.  Nor  in  this  is  there  any 
**  thing  at  variance  with  the  pledge  in  question.  It  is  a  very 
«  different  thing  to  apply  arguments  to  the  mind^  and  vio- 
<«  lence  to  the  body ;  to  civilize  and  humanize,  to  address 
*<  the  understandings  and  affections  of  subjects,  and  to  inter- 
«  fere  with  their  superstitions  by  compulsory  acts." 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  367 

After  various  illustrations  of  the  countenance  afforded  by 
the  Company  itself  to  Christian  missionaries,  and  ,of  their 
successful  efforts  in  different  parts  of  India,  Dr.  Buclianan 
adds  the  following  observation. 

*<  It  has  been  the  usual  conduct  of  Asiatic  governments  to 
<^  let  Christianity  alone.  In  the  annals  of  the  British  ad- 
*^  ministration  in  India,  has  there  been  no  instance  of  the 
<<  suppression  of  a  Christian  mission." 

Having  presented  the  preceding  considerations  to  the  no- 
tice of  Lord  Minto,  Dr.  Buchanan  recurs  to  the  subject  of 
his  discourses  on  the  Prophecies.  He  had  at  the  opening  of 
his  Memorial  professed  that  he  would  willingly  transmit 
them  to  the  perusal  of  the  Governor  General,  and  that  he 
should  be  happy  to  receive  such  observations  on  them,  as 
his  Lordship's  learning  and  candour  might  suggest.  But, 
adds  Dr.  Buchanan,  ''^I  now  beg  leave  to  submit  to  your 
"  Lordship's  judgment,  whether  in  the  view  of  the  temper 
"  of  mind  displayed  above,  it  would  be  proper  in  me  to  sub- 
"  mit  my  compositions  to  the  opinion  and  revision  of  the  offi- 
<•  cers  of  your  Lordship's  government.  I  incline  not  toconi- 
*<  mit  them  to  the  hands  of  those  officers  from  another  consi- 
"  deration  :  it  would  be  a  bad  precedent.  I  would  not  that 
"  it  should  be  thought,  that  any  where  in  the  British  domi- 
*<  nions  there  exists  any  thing  like  a  civil  inquisition  into 
"  matters  purely  religious. 

"  It  is  nearly  two  months  since  I  received  the  letter  from 
^<  government  on  this  matter,  and  I  have  not  yet  communi- 
"  cated  my  intentions.  I  now  beg  leave  to  inform  your 
<'  Lordship,  that  I  do  not  wish  to  give  government  any  un- 
<«  necessary  offence.    I  shall  not  publish  the  Prophecies. 

'«  At  the  same  time  I  beg  leave  most  respectfully  to  assure 
«*  your  Lordship,  that  1  am  not  in  any  way  disappointe^l  by 
"  the  interference  of  government  on  this  occasion.  The  sup- 
<<  posed  suppression  of  the  Christian  prophecies  has  produ- 
«  ced  the  consequence  that  might  be  expected.  The  public 
*«  curiosity  has  been  greatly  excited  to  see  these  prophecies; 
"  and  to  draw  the  attention  of  men  to  the  divine  predictions 
«•  could  be  the  only  object  I  had  in  view,  in  noticing  them  in 


368  MEMOIRS  OF 

**  the  course  of  my  public  ministry.  Another  consequence 
"  will  probably  be,  the  Prophecies  will  be  translated  into  the 
« languages  of  the  East,  and  thus  pave  the  way,  as  has 
'«  sometimes  happened,  for  their  own  fulfilment." 

Dr.  Buchanan  closed  his  Memorial  with  entreating  Lord 
Minto,  in  case  any  circumstance  should  afford  a  pretext  for 
renewing  the  attempt  to  suppress  the  translation  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, that  the  Chinese  translation,  in  which,  as  its  original 
proposer  and  patron,  he  felt  peculiarly  interested,  might  at 
least  be  spared;  and  without  offering  any  farther  evidence  or 
explanation  of  the  facts  asserted  in  his  letter,  which  his  Lord- 
ship might  require.     This  offer,  however,   Lord  Minto  did 
not  condescend  to  accept.     He  did  not  even  honour  Dr.  Bu- 
chanan with  a  single  word  of  reply.     Instead  of  considering 
the  Memorial  as  a  communication  intended  to  inform   his 
Lordship  on  subjects  with  which  he-was  likely  to  be  unac- 
quainted, he  viewed  it  as  disrespectful  to  his  government, 
and  transmitted  it  by  the  very  fleet  which  conveyed  Dr. 
Buchanan  himself  to  England,  to  the  Court  of  Directors, 
accompanied  by  a  commentary,  of  which  Dr.  Buchanan  re- 
mained perfectly  ignorant  till  some  years  afterwards;  when, 
with  many  other  documents  relative  to  Christianity  in  India, 
it  was  laid  upon  the  table  of  the  House  of  Commons.     It  then 
attracted  his  notice,  and  called  forth  some  remarks,  which 
will  be  better  considered,  when  we  arrive,  in  the  course  of 
this  narrative,  at  the  period  of  their  publication.    The  Ben- 
gal government,  however,  not  having  thought  proper  to  pay 
any  attention  to  his  Memorial,  Dr.  Buchanan  deemed  it  to 
be  his  duty  to  transmit  a  copy  of  it  to  the  Court  of  Directors, 
which  he  did  immediately  before  his  departure  from  Calcut- 
ta, accompanied  by  a  letter,  in  which  he  expressed  his  hope, 
that^ome   general  principles  on  the    comparative    impor- 
tance of  religion  in  political  relations  in  India,  might  be  es- 
tablished  at  home,  and  transmitted  to  our  eastern  govern- 
ment for  their  guidance.     Dr.  Buchanan  concluded  his  ad- 
dress to  the  Honourable  Court,  by  recalling  to  their  notice 
the  solemn  charge  which  he  had  received  about  eleven  years 
since  from  their  chairman,  the  late  Sir  Stephen  Lushington, 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  369 

the  tenor  of  which  has  been  already  stated.  '*  In  obedience 
«<  to  these  instructions/'  observes  Dr.  Buchanan,  **  I  have 
"  devoted  myself  much  to  the  advancement  of  the  Cliristian 
"  religion,  and  of  useful  learning,  since  my  arrival  in  India; 
"  using  such  means'as  I  was  possessed  of,  and  directing  the 
"  opportunities  which  have  "offered,  to  the  accomplishment 
*^  of  that  object.  I  am  yet  sensible  that  I  have  fulfilled  very 
"imperfectly  the  injunctions  of  your  Honourable  Court.  It 
**  suffices,  however,  for  my  own  satisfaction,  if  what  I  have 
«  done,  has  been  well  done;  that  is,  with  honesty  of  purpose, 
"  and  with  the  sanction  of  truth.  In  my  exhibition  of  the 
*^  religious  and  moral  state  of  British  India,  I  might  have 
*<  palliated  the  fact,  and  presented  a  fair  picture,  where 
"  there  was  nothing  but  deformity.  But  in  so  doing,  I 
^'  should  not  have  done  honour  to  the  spirit  of  the  admoni- 
"  tions  of  your  venerable  chairman,  now  deceased.  And 
"  however  grateful  it  may  be  for  the  present  moment  to 
<<  suppress  painful  truths,  yet  as  my  labours  had  chiefly  re- 
*'  ference  to  the  benefit  of  times  to  come,  I  should  not,  by 
"such  means,,  have  conciliated  the  respect  of  your  illustri- 
"  ous  body  twenty  years  hence." 

Under  these  impressions,  Dr.  Buchanan  requested  that 
the  Court  would  be  pleased  to  investigate  fully  his  proceed- 
ings, with  respect  to  the  promotion  of  Christianity  in  India, 
that  the  Company  at  large  might  be  enabled  justly  to  appre- 
ciate them ;  and  that  he  might  be  encouraged  (if  it  should 
appear  that  encouragement  were  due)  to  prosecute  an  un- 
dertaking which  seemed,  he  said,  to  have  commanded  the 
applause  of  all  good  men,  and  which  had  certainly  commen- 
ced with  omens  of  considerable  success. 

The  preceding  letter  to  the  Court  of  Directors  was  not 
published  with  the  Memorial  to  the  government  of  Bengal, 
nor  docs  it  seem  to  have  been  noticed  by  the  Court.  Nei- 
ther of  those  addresses,  however,  though  unacknowledged 
at  the  time,  was  unproductive  of  effect.  In  Bengal,  a  more 
favourable  disposition  on  the  part  of  the  government,  towards 
the  promotion  of  Christianity,  shortly  afterwards  appeared; 
and  the  reply  of  the  Court  of  Directors  to  the  representa- 


^70 


MEMOIRS  OF 


tions  of  the  Governor  General  in  council,  though  not  friend- 
ly to  Dr.  Buchanan,  was,  as  we  shall  hereafter  perceive, 
strongly  marked  by  those  enlightened  and  liberal  views, 
which  he  had  been  so  anxious  to  sec  established  for  the  gui- 
dance of  our  Indian  governments.  The  favourable  change 
which  took  place  in  the  conduct  of  the  Bengal  government 
towards  the  mission  at  Serampore,  is,  however,  chiefly  to  be 
ascribed  to  the  Memorial  presented  by  the  missionaries 
themselves  to  the  Governor  General  in  council ;  which, 
when  published  a  few  years  afterwards  in  this  country,  ex- 
cited general  admiration. 

The  painful  transaction  which  has  now  been  detailed  was 
nearly  the  last  of  a  public  nature  in  which  Dr.  Buchanan 
was  engaged  in  Calcutta.  The  time  was  now  approaching 
for  his  second  and  final  departure  from  that  city.  Accord- 
ingly, in  the  month  of  November,  he  preached  his  farewell 
sermon  to  the  congregation  at  the  mission  church  from  the 
words  of  St.  Paul  to  the  Philippians,  chap.  i.  27.  /<  Only  let 
"  your  conversation  be  as  it  becometh  the  Gospel  of  Christ : 
♦*  that  whether  I  come  and  see  you,  or  else  be  absent,  I  may 
«  hear  of  your  affairs,  that  ye  stand  fast  in  one  spirit,  with 
*>  one  mind,  striving  together  for  the  faith  of  the  Gospel." 
From  this  appropriate  and  interesting  passage,  Dr.  Bu- 
chanan delivered  a  discoui'se  remarkable  for  the  importance 
of  the  practical  truths  which  it  enforced.  After  an  intro- 
ductory view  of  the  origin  and  progress  of  the  Church  at 
Philippi,  Dr.  Buchanan  considered  the  two  particulars,  of 
which  the  parting  request  of  the  Apostle  to  his  favourite 
converts  consists.  The  fust  respects  the  holy  practice 
which  they  were  exhorted  to  maintain. 

*<  Without  a  highly  moral  conversation,"  observed  Dr. 
Buciianan,  "  a  congregation  of  Christians  cannot  be  said  to 
'^  have  substance  or  being;  for  faith  without  works  is  dead. 
*<  Unless  the  world  see  something  particular  in  your  works, 
«  they  will  give  you  no  credit  for  your  faith;  or  rather,  they 
<«  will  not  care  what  your  faith  may  be.  In  such  circum- 
"  stances,  your  faith  will  give  them  no  trouble.  But  when 
« <  wonderful  works'  appear,  they  will  begin  to  ask  what 


a 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  371 

<*  power  bath  produced  them.'    In  this  very  Epistle,  the 

Apostle  calls  the  Christians  at  Philippi,  <  the.  sons  of  God,' 
"  and  the  *  lights  of  the  world  ;'  and  he  expresses  his  hope, 
"  thai  their  conduct  would  be  correspondent  with  these  ho- 
<*  ble  and  distinguishing  appellations." 

"Now,"  continues  Dr.  Buchanan,  <*when  this  light  shi- 
<«  neth  to  the  world,  even  the  light  of  a  holy  life  and  conver- 
"  sation,  it  will  be  manifested  by  these  two  circumstances. 
*<  First,- it  will  not  be  agreeable  to  some.  And,  secondly, 
<*  some  will  misrepresent  your  motives,  or  attacJi  to  your 
*«  conduct  an  evil  name ;  accusing  you  of  hypocrisy,  or  of 
"  unnecessary  strictness.  And  if  no  man  £illege  any  thing 
"  of  this  kind  against  you,  if  the  worst  of  men  make  no  dero- 
<^  gatory  remark  on  your. conduct,  then  may  you  doubt  whe- 
*'ther  you  are  walking  in  the  steps  of  the  faithful,  servants 
*<  of  Christ.  They  all  \vere  marked  out  by  the  world,  as 
*^  being  in  a  greater  or  less  .degree  singular  and  peculiar  in 
•'  their  conduct,  as  persons  swayed  by  other  principles,  and 
<«  subject  to  other  laws.  If  these  things  be  so,  you  will  per- 
«*  ceive  how  little  concerned  you  ought  to  be  about  the  praise 
^*  of  man,  or  the  honour  which  cometh  from  the  world." 

Dr.  Buchanan  then  proceeded  to  the  second  .part  of  the 
Apostle's  exhortation;  and  in  urging  the  duty  of  ''  striving 
"  for  the  faith  of  the  Gospel,"  he  observed,  <*  This  will  ap- 
<«  pear  strange  to  nominal  Christians,  both  preachers  and 
•«  hearers.  But  when  once  a  man's  heart  comes  under  the 
«•  influence  of  the  grace  of  God,  he  will  discover  (perhaps  in 
"  old  age  for  the  first  time)  that  it  is  his  duty,  and  it  will  be 
"  his  pleasure,  to  promote  the  faith  of  the  Gospel,  by  every 
"  way;  by  his  means,  by  his  influence,  by  his  exhortation, 
"  by  his  example.  Every  true  disciple  of  Christ,  however 
«  humble  his  situation,  or  peculiar  his  circumstances,  will 
**  find  opportunities  of  doing  something  for  the  faith  of  the 
<*  Gospel.  And,  indeed,  the^Jkor  often  enjoy  means  of  use- 
*'  fulness,  which,  from  many  causes,  are  denied  to  their  su- 
<«  periors." 

Dr.  Buchanan  next  directed  the  attention  of  his  hearers  to  • 
the.  Apostle's  rule  for  the  successful  pursuit  of  this  great  ob- 


37^  MEMOIRS  OF 

ject,  *<  that  ye  stand  fast  in  one  spirit,  with  one  mind — that 
<'  they  should  preserve  unity ;  unity  in  the  faith,  and  in  the 
<<  Church."  The  following  passage,  relative  to  this  impor- 
tant point,  displays  considerable  acuteness  of  observation. 

*<  You  will  generally  observe  in  the  present  day,  that  new 
"  opinions  concerning  forms  and  doctrine  are  chiefly  intro- 
«  duced  by  men  wlio  have  had  little  learning  in  their  youth; 
"  so  that  when  in  advanced  life  they  begin  to  be  serious  and 
*<  to  acquire  knowledge,  the  novelty  flatters  their  understan- 
"  dings  for  a  time,  and  leads  them  to  adopt  new  systems,  as 
"  they  acquire  new  knowledge.  This  is  very  natural. 
«  Whereas  those  in  whom  serious  piety  and  sound  learning 
«  have  united  in  early  life,  are  seldom  subject  to  such  chan- 
"  ges.  But  the  unsettled  man  is  designated  by  St.  Paul 
«  under  the  appellation  of  a  •  novice,'  whatever  his  age  may 
"  be ;  one  who  being  lifted  up  for  a  time  in  his  own  conceit, 
<*  gradually  loses  his  reputation,  or  perhaps  has  a  fall  in  the 
<*  face  of  the  church.  And  when  his  pride  has  been  thus 
"  humbled,  he  generally  returns  to  meekness  of  conduct  and 
'«  sobriety  of  speech." 

Dr.  Buchanan  noticed,  in  the  third  place,  the  nature  of 
that  faith  for  which  Christians  ought  to  strive. 

*<  With  respect  to  tliis,"  he  observed,  <«  it  is  not  necessa- 
«*  ry  for  me  now  to  declare  it.  It  hath  often  been  described 
"to  you  from  this  place,  even  that  '  faith  which  was  once 
«  delivered  unto  the  saints;'  and  which  hath  descended 
'« from  age  to  age,  like  a  pure  stream  of  the  water  of  life^ 
*<  gladdening  the  hearts  of  men,  and  nourishing  their  souls 
<^  unto  everlasting  life.  Amongst  yourselves,  have  there 
<<  been  some,  who  drank  of  it  deeply,  and  have  now  passed 
<<  away  into  glory  ;  good  and  holy  persons,  who  bequeathed 
"  to  you  an  illustrious  testimony,  and  pointed  out  to  you  the 
^< « true  way.'  These  all  died|ui  faith,  and  now  inherit  the 
^<  promises.  These  are  your^loud  of  witnesses ;'  that  you 
<*  should  «  run  with  patience  the  race  that  is  set  before  you.' 
*•  Tiiese  once,  like  some  of  you  now,  endured  suff*cring  for 
"  conscience  sake,  some  trouble  of  body,  or  some  distress  of 
"  mind.   But  all  was  sanctified  to  them,  as  it  will  be  to  you  ; 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  373 

•»'  they  endured  unto  the  end,  and  their  names  shall  he  had  in 
•<  everlasting  remembrance." 

The  sermon  was  concluded  by  a  faithful  and  solemn  ex- 
hortation to  the  young  and  to  the  old,  to  those  who  doubted 
as  to  "the  true  way,"  to  the  sinner  and  the  saint,  to  strive 
to  obtain,  and,  having  obtained,  to  adorn  and  recommend  the 
faith  of  the  Gospel.  *•  It  only  remains,"  added  Dr.  Bu- 
chanan, <*  that  I  implore  the  solemn  benediction  of  God  on 
•*  this  congregation. 

**  I  pray,  that  the  word  of  Christ  may  *  run  and  be  glori- 
*<  fied'  amongst  you ;  that  from  this  place,  as  from  a  foun- 
"  tain,  streams  of  truth  may  flow  far  and  wide ;  that  you 
•«  may  be  ever  blessed  with  wise  and  learned  instructors, 
•<  <  able  ministers  of  the  New  Testament,'  who  shall  take 
<<  delight  in  dispensing  the  word  of  life,  and  in  tending  the 
"  flock  committed  to  their  care ;  and  finally,  that  the  honour 
•<  of  your  church  may  ever  be  preserved  pure  from  any  stain, 
^'  that  ye  may  uphold  a  conduct  '  blameless  and  harmless,' 
"  as  examples  to  men,  as  « the  lights  of  the  world ;'  striving 
<«  together  with  one  mind  and  in  one  spirit,  for  the  faith  of 
•'•  the  Gospel." 

Such  was  the  simple  but  impressive  strain  in  which  Dr. 
Buchanan  took  leave  of  the  congregation  which  contained 
the  greater  proportion  of  religious  persons  in  Calcutta.  His 
farewell  at  the  Presidency  church  was  probably  of  a  differ- 
ent nature,  though  characterized  by  the  same  pastoral  fidel- 
ity and  practical  wisdom,  as  that  which  we  have  just  ob- 
served. There  were,  doubtless,  some  in  each  congregation 
from  whom  he  would  regret  to  be  separated,  and  many  who 
would  lament  his  departure.  Mr.  Brown  would  particularly 
feel  the  loss  of  his  able  and  affectionate  coadjutor  and  friend, 
with  whom  he  had  taken  «*  sweet  counsel"  in  the  house  of 
God,  and  had  shared  the  burthen  and  the  heat  of  many  a 
laborious  day.  Of  the  sentiments  entertained  by  this  excel- 
lent man  respecting  his  learned  and  valuable  colleague,  the 
following  brief  extract  from  a  confidential  letter  to  his  bro- 
ther, written  just  as  Dr.  Buchanan  was  on  the  eve  of  his  de 
parture  from  Calcutta,  will  be  a  sufficient  testimonv. 


374  MEMOIRS  OF 

^«  You  ask  me,"  says  Mr.  Brown,  *^  if  Dr.  Buchanan  is 
'*  my  friend  ?  I  answer,  I  know  no  man  in  the  world  who 
"  excels  him  in  useful  purpose,  or  deserves  my  friendship 
<^  more.  Perhaps  there  is  no  man  in  the  world  who  loves 
<'  him  so  much  as  I  do ;  because  no  man  knows  him  so  well. 
♦<  Furtlier,  no  man  I  believe  in  the  world  would  do  me  ser- 
•'  vice  like  him.  We  have  lived  together  in  the  closest  inti- 
"  macy  ten  years,  without  a  shade  of  difference  in  sentiment, 
"  political  or  religious.  It  is  needless  to  add,  without  a  jar 
<<  in  word  or  deed.  He  is  the  man  to  do  good  in  the  earth, 
"  and  worthy  of  being  Metropolitan  of  the  East." 

The  private  and  unaffected  nature  of  the  letter  from  which 
the  preceding  passage  is  extracted,  the  well  known  simpli- 
city and  integrity  of  the  writcr^s  character,  and  the  perfect 
competency  of  his  testimony,  render  this  warm  and  ener- 
getic tribute  to  the  merit  of  his  friend  peculiarly  valuable. 
To  separate  from  such  a  colleague  must  have  been  a  subject 
of  sincere  regret  to  him.  But,  with  this  and  a  few  other 
exceptions,  Dr.  Buchanan's  ties  to  India  were  neither  strong 
nor  numerous.  The  society  of  Calcutta  is  necessarily  fluc- 
tuating. One  of  the  most  important  branches  of  his  em- 
ployment no  longer  existed;  he  had  laid  the  foundation  of  a 
great  work  for  the  promotion  of  Christianity  in  India,  which 
he  could  in  future  more  advantageously  forward  and  defend 
in  his  native  country ;  and  thither  he  felt  attracted  by  the 
associations  of  early  and  maturer  life,  by  filial  duty,  and  pa- 
ternal affection.  For  this  return,  therefore,  after  making  a 
variety  of  arrangements  to  ensure  the  continuance  of  the 
works  carrying  on  under  what  he  considered  to  be  the 
«'  Christian  Institution,"  more  particularly  of  the  Chinese 
class  at  Serampore,  he  at  length  prepared. 

On  the  27th  of  November;  Dr.  Buclianan  left  Calcutta, 
and   reached  Fulta  the  next  day ;  and  from  this  place  he 
wrote  to  Colonel  Sandys  as  follows. 
«  Dear  Sandys, 

•^  I  am  thus  far  on  my  way  to  Europe.  I  sail  in  the  Ba- 
••'  retto  to  Goa,  to  look  into  the  inquisition  there,  and  exa- 
'<  mine  the  libraries.    Thence  I  proceed  to  Bombay. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  375 

<«  A  few  days  ago  I  received  your  letter  of  the  28th  of 
•<  May  1807,  dated  from  Northwold,  containing  the  signa- 
« tures  of  the  little  girls.  They  write  very  well,  and  have 
"  made  a  flattering  progress  in  their  education.  I  am  much 
««  obliged  to  you  for  your  particular  account  of  the  two  chil- 
««  dren,  which  is  very  correct,  I  believe,  and  very  pleasing. 
"  Being  long  estranged  from  them,  and  hearing  none  con- 
«  verse  about  them,  I  seldom  think  of  them  now  compara- 
<^  tively.  But  when  we  meet  again,  I  suppose  we  shall  fall 
"  in  love. 

"  You  observed  in  some  of  your  late  letters  that  you  heard 
«  I  was  likely  to  be  married  again.  It  so  happens,  that  I 
"  have  not  once  thought  of  it.  It  is  possible  that  I  may 
<*  marry  some  time  after  my  arrival  in  England.  But  yet  I 
<^  would  avoid  it,  for  some  reasons.  It  is  a  subject  I  think 
"  not  of. 

"  Instead  of  love  and  marriage,  I  am  engaged  in  war  and 
*«  fightings.  I  have  been  obliged  to  address  this  government 
"  publicly  on  its  hostility  to  religion  and  to  its  progress  in 
"  India.  All  Calcutta  wondered  what  step  government 
"  would  take.  In  the  midst  of  this  strange  scene,  I  paid  a 
''  farewell  visit  to  them  all,  and  left  every  creature  from  the 
'*  Governor  General  to  the  pilots,  on  good  terms. 

*«  I  have  now  finished  my  labours,  and  pray  that  God  may 
"  bless  them. 

<«  I  have  been  down  here  for  eight  days,  waiting  the  des- 
«  patch  of  the  ship.  The  Calcutta  people  have  not  been 
"  uninterested  in  my  late  contention  with  the  government ; 
"  and  I  hear  some  of  them  have  called  a  ship  by  my  name, 
<«  since  I  came  down  here.  The  <  Christian  Institution  in 
"  the  East'  is  unknown  in  Calcutta  to  this  hour,  though  aC- 
'« tive  in  its  operation. 

*<  Yours  affectionately, 

<*  C.  Buchanan." 

The  ship  in  which  Dr.  Buchanan  sailed  left  Saugor  on 
the  9th  of  December;  but  no  memorial  of  his  voyage  occurs 
until  the  23d  of  that  month,  when  he  wrote  to  Mr.  Brown 
as  follows,  from  Coiumbo,  in  the  island  of  Ceylon, 


370  MEMOIRS  OF 

**  Ceylon  again  !  In  crossing  the  Gulf  of  Manaar,  we  en» 
"  countered  a  gale,  and  put  into  Columbo.  I  had  requested 
"  the  captain  to  touch  here  when  I  left  Calcutta  ;  and  now 
"  he  was  obliged  of  necessity.  I  have  been  well  on  board, 
«  and  well  treated.  Many  causes  for  thankfulness,  as  usual. 
«  Tlie  Adele  was  taken  by  the  Russel  the  day  before  we  came 
«  up  to  her,  and  we  had  parted  convoy.  In  the  Gulf  of  Ma- 
"  naar,  we  were  about  to  throw  over  our  cargo,  when  the 
*<  gale  abated. 

«  On  my  arrival  here,  many  of  the  chief  persons  waited 
♦«  on  me.  From  my  having  touched  last  year  at  so  many 
•«  Dutch  settlements,  I  found  all  the  families  knew  me.  I 
"  have  only  been  here  three  days,  having  arrived  on  Mon- 
"  day  last,  and  the  ship  proceeds  on  her  voyage  on  Friday. 
*<  I  have  some  thoughts  of  letting  her  go,  and  following  at 
"  my  leisure ;  for  I  find  there  is  something  for  me  here  to 
« do.  What  a  field  for  English,  Dutch,  and  Cingalese 
"  preachers  in  this  fertile  and  renowned  land  ! 

<*  I  propose  to  proceed  straight  to  Cochin  from  this  place. 
<«  Sir  James  Mackintosh  is  on  the  Malabar  coast,  I  hear, 
<<  with  his  family.  Two  Bombay  civil  servants  now  here 
"  wish  me  to  travel  by  land  from  Cochin  to  Goa.  They  have 
<*  been  judges  and  collectors  for  fourteen  years  on  that  coast, 
"  and  allege  they  know  more  about  the  Christians  than  any 
*«  other  persons  in  India.  They  complain  much  of  the  undue 
*'  influence  of  Goa,  exercised  sometimes  cruelly  on  all  Chris- 
«« tians  who  are  not  Catholics.  Mr.  B.  carries  me  out  to- 
"  day  to  his  country  house,  to  visit  some  of  the  Cingalese 
«  Christian  churches. 

"  My  affectionate  regards  to  all  your  family." 

By  the  date  of  his  next  letter.   Dr.  Buchanan  appears  to  ^ 
have  left  the  Barctto,  in  wliich  he  originally  embarked  from 
Calcutta,  and  to  have  exchanged  that  ship  for  the  Canton, 
from  which,  on  the  26th  of  December,  he  thus  wrote  off  Co- 
chin to  Coloni'l  Macaulay. 

"  I  had  flattered  myself  with  the  hope  of  being  landed 
»« here,  but  the  commander  of  the  ship  cannot  \yait,  and  I 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  37^ 

••  am  disappointed.  He  has  eni^aged  to  put  me  down  at  Goa, 
«*  where  I  propose  to  remain  some  time,  an?^  from  whrnce  I 
'*  shall  write  to  yo3i  particularly.  I  left  Calcutta  on  the  8th 
**  inst.  and  touched  at  Columho,  where  I  staid  some  days, 
'«  and  ^)und  flatterins;  assurances- of  support  in  our  evange- 
«« lizing  plans  for  that  i  :|  ;nd.  There  is  less  prejudice  there 
"than  in  the  Company's  settlements.  This  is  the  third  time 
"that  r  have  visited  Ceylon;  so  that  the  people  begin  to 
<*  think  I  have  some  serious  design  against  them. 

"  In  my  last  I  believe  I  informed  you  that  I  was  standing 
"i?i  the  breach,  I  have  now  the  pleasure  to  announce  that 
«  the  battle  has  been  fought.  Long  consultations  were  held 
"  how  to  proceed.  It  was  at  last  decreed,  that  I  should  be 
"  permitted  to  depart  in  peace. 

"  I  have  the  copy  of  the  Malayalim  Scriptures  with  me, 
"  and  mean  to  print  when  at  Bombay  :  five  thousand  copies 
"  will  suffice  for  a  beginning,  I  suppose. 

"  I  left  Misrahi,  my  Jew,  in  Calcutta,  with  his  own  con- 
"sent.  I  have  advanced  him  in  the  whole  a  thousand  ru- 
"  pees  ;  so  I  suppose  he  will  trade  there. 

"I  hope  to  see  you  before  I  leave  India;  but  I  do  not 
•<  know  at  this  moment  where  or  how.  May  all  our  resolves 
"  and  purposes  be  acceptable  to  the  Divine  will ! 

"  Mr.  Johnston,  Judge  at  Col  umbo,  will  furnish  me  with 
«  some  important  official  documents  relating  to  the  state  of 
"Christianity  in  that  island.  The  Governor  was  absent ; 
«<  but  Major  Maitland  (Lord  Lauderdale's  son)  came  to  in- 
"  form  me,  that  he  would  return  in  two  days,  if  I  would  stay 
<«  to  see  him.  I  could  not  stay  ;  but  I  communicated  to  him, 
"  that  if  he  would  give  to  the  Cingalese  translation  of  the 
"  Scriptures  his  countenance,  I  would  give  moneij;  and  Judge 
<'  Johnston  would  find  instruments.  Mr.  J.  is  an  excellent 
"  Cingalese  scholar  himself." 

Notwithstanding  the  disappointment  of  which  Dr.  Bu- 
chanan expressed  his  expectation  at  the  commencement  of 
the  preceding  letter,  we  find  him  two  days  afterwards 
safely  landed  at  Cochin,  and  under  the  roof  of  his  friend. 
Colonel  Maeaulay.     He  thus  writes  to  Mr.  Brown. 

u  Pi 


378  MEMOIRS  OF 

"Cochin,  28th  Dec.  1807. 

*<  On  the  24th,  Christmas-eve,  we  left  Columbo,  crossed 
*<  the  Gulph  of  Manaar  on  Christmas-day,  and  arrived  here 
'<  on  the  27th,  yesterday.  I  found  all  my  Jews  and  Chris- 
**  tians  in  fine  health  and  spirits,  and  highly  gratified  at  my 
"-  unexpected  arrival.  I  reside  with  Colonel  Macaulay. 
♦<  After  passing  some  time  in  these  regions,  he  accompanies 
**  me  up  the  coast,  by  land,  through  all  the  Christian  terri- 
**  tories,  as  far  as  Cananore,  perhaps  Mangalore,  whence  I 
•<  proceed  by  sea  to  Goa. 

«  The  Jews  have  lately  had  a  meeting  about  the  prophe- 
♦*  cies.  And  I  am  about  to  call  another  Sanhedrim  on  the 
**  subject  before  I  go.     It  is  a  strange  event. 

"  I  am  happy  I  have  visited  this  place  a  second  time. 
•<  May  God  direct  all  these  things  to  his  own  glory,  and  to 
*<  the  good  of  men !  I  have  need  of  watchfulness  and  prayer. 
«<  Much  lies  before  me,  ere  I  leave  India  yet ;  if  ever  I 
"leave  it. 

*<  Tell  H.  that  the  poor  Jews,  blind,  lame,  and  halt,  are 
<*  come  this  morning,  exclaiming,  as  usual,  '  Jehuda  Ani.'  I 
"  wish  I  could  impart  a  better  gift  than  silver  or  gold.  The 
"  Rajah  of  Travancore  has  desired  |  will  visit  him.  I  do 
"  not  know  what  to  do.  The  Rajah  of  Cochin  has  offered 
*«  to  come  over  to  see  me.  Ambassadors  from  the  Syrian 
"  Christians  arc  expected  to-morrow." 

On  the  2d  of  January  1808,  Dr.  Buchanan  left  Cochin, 
accompanied  by  Colonel  Macaulay,  on  a  second  tour  upon 
the  coast  of  Malabar.  The  following  letter  to  Mr.  Brown 
will  afford  an  interesting  account  of  their  progress. 

"  Tellicherry,  14th  January,  1808. 

«  I  write  this  from  the  fort  which  the  English  first  built  in 
«  India;  and  where,  as  Tippoo  observed  in  his  official  mani- 
"  festo,  the  English  pedlars  <  first  exhibited  their  scissars 
"  and  knives.*  Tellicherry  lines  enclose  nine  miles  in  cir- 
^<  cumference ;  and  the  natives  have  enjoyed  the  protection 
<*  of  the  English  for  about  one  hundred  and  sixty  years.  The 
«  enemy  was  never  suffered  to  destroy  them.  But  no  English 


DR.  BUCPIANAN.  379 

«  church,  or  house  of  prayer f  has  yet  been  built.    From  this 
"  spot  we  extended  our  power  to  the  utmost  limits  of  India. 

<«  Colonel  Maeaulay  has  accompanied  me  thus  far.  Wc 
«  first  proceeded  from  Cochin  to  the  famous  Shanscrit  col- 
"  lege  at  Trichiur ;  and  thence  to  a  district  of  the  Syrian 
«  Christians  which  I  had  not  before  visited.  It  was  named 
«  by  Hyder,  Nazarani  Ghur,  or  the  city  of  the  Nazarenes. 
"  It  is  a  beautiful  place,  fertile  and  populous.  The  town  is 
<«  four  square,  having  four  gates,  built  on  the  side  of  a  hill, 
*<  with  steps  cut  in  the  rock  from  street  to  street,  surround- 
**  ed  by  lofty  groves  of  palm  and  other  trees.  A  verdant 
«« meadow  winds  about  the  foot  of  the  hill,  and  the  whole 
«'  country  is  a  scene  of  hill  and  dale.  The  priests  and  peo- 
<*  pie  knew  me,  and  received  us  with  great  affection.  Co- 
"  lonel  Macaulay  accompanied  me  to  the  principal  church. 
**  Having  signified  my  intention  of  presenting  a  large  gold 
<<  medal  to  this  church,  in  the  name  of  all  the  Syrian  churches 
« in  Malayalim,  a  vast  concourse  of  people  assembled. 
<<  There  is  no  person  in  the  town  but  Nazarenes.  The  me- 
«  dal  which  I  presented  to  them,  was  that  which  Mrs.  J. 
"  gave  me  before  I  left  Calcutta.  It  is  about  three  times  as 
*<  large  as  a  college  gold  medal,  and  exhibits  the  baptism  of 
"  Jesus  in  Jordan,  elegantly  executed  ;  and  on  the  reverse, 
<<  a  child  brought  to  be  baptized.  I  placed  it  on  the  altar, 
« in  the  presence  of  the  people,  with  due  solemnity ;  and 
<«  beside  it,  a  gift  to  the  poor.  This  town  is  in  the  territo- 
<«  ries  of  the  Rajah  of  Cochin,  whom  I  visited  a  fortnight 
«  ago.  Tippoo  invaded  this  Syrian  colony  in  1789.  The 
'<  people  pointed  out  to  me  the  grove  of  trees  on  which  the 
<«  Christians  were  hanged.  They  are  now  so  respectable 
«  for  number  and  opulence,  that  the  Rajah  of  Cochin  is 
«*  obliged  to  treat  them  with  indulgence  ;  and  the  more  so, 
"  as  they  are  within  four  miles  of  the  English  territories  in 
"  Malabar.  Nazarani  Bazar  (as  it  is  sometimes  called)  is 
<*  due  east  from  Paniani,  and  is  near  Palghutcheri.  This 
«<  second  visit  to  the  Syrian  churches  has  been  useful. 

*«The  Jews  at  Cochin  are  very  unsettled  in  relation  to  the 
"  prophecies.     They  wonder  at  the  attention  paid  by  the 


380  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  English  to  these  subjects  for  the  first  time.  You  will  read 
"  in  the  Bombay  courier  an  account  of  a  ceremony  in  the 
*•  synagogue  at  Cochin,  which  took  place  at  Christmas  last, 
*f  a  few  days  before  I  arrived.  Some  of  the  Jews  interpret 
<«  the  prophecies  aright,  and  some  in  anotlier  way  ;  but  all 
<^  agree  that  a  great  era  is  at  hand. 

« I  visited  Mtihe,  a  beautiful  place,  formerly  a  French  fort, 
«  but  now  in  ruins,  and  Calicut.  At  this  last  place  Vasco 
<«  de  Gama  landed  in  1497,  at  a  fine  bay  a  little  above  the 
<^town.  I  saw  the  ruins  of  the  Samorin's  palace,  in  which 
**  he  was  first  received.  The  Mahometan  towns  on  the  sea- 
«  coast  are  large  and  populous.  The  Romish  Christians  are 
«  numerous.  The  English  Christians  complain  that  there 
'<  is  no  Protestant  church  or  minister  on  this  coast,  except  a 
«<  chaplain  to  the  garrison  at  Cananore. 

«<  The  march  of  Menou  prevents  my  going  home  by  land. 
<<  I  propose  to  proceed  to  Goa  in  a  day  or  two,  and  thence 
^'  to  Bombay,  if  time  permit.     I  reside  here  at  the  house  of 
*<  Mr.  C,  the  Judge  of  the  province. 

« 1  enjoy  good  health  in  this  favoured  land.  Amidst  all 
*^  my  researches,  the  importance  of  the  Gospel  appears  every 
«  where  conspicuous.  Every  evil  1  witness,  and  every  de- 
«fect,  might  be  remedied  by  the  Gospel,  whether  among 
«  the  natives  or  the  Europeans." 

Dr.  Buchanan's  next  letter  to  Mr.  Brown  is  dated,  "  Goa, 
•«  25th  January,  from  the  great  hall  of  the  Inquisition."  It 
contains  an  account  of  his  bold  and  interesting  visit  to  that 
metropolis  of  the  Roman  Catholic  religion  in  the  East,  and 
is  similar  to  tliat  with  wliichthe  public  in  general  is  already 
well  acquainted.^  Instead,  therefore,  of  repeating  that  ad- 
mirable narrative,  in  whicli  the  ardour  of  Christian  research, 
and  of  Christian  courage  and  benevolence,  are  strikingly 
displayed,  a  sketch  of  this  enterprising  expedition  only 
shall  be  given,  which  occurs  in  a  letter  to  Colonel  Ma- 
caulay. 

a  Christian  Researches,  pp.  155 — 178. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  381 

••  On  my  arrival  at  Goa,  I  was  hospitably  entertained 
<»  by  Captain  Schuyler.  He  and  Colonel  Adams  introdu- 
<«  ced  me  next  day  to  the  Viceroy,  who  affects  great  pomp, 
*<  rails  at  the  French,  and  is  a  true  Frenchman  at  heart. 
**  Next  day  Major  Pareira  went  up  with  me  to  old  Goa.  The 
"  Archbishop  received  me  cordially.  I  professed  a  purpose 
<•  of  remaining  some  days  there.  This,  it  seems,  was  unu- 
*«  sual,  and  it  occasioned  some  discussion  and  difficulty.  At 
"  last  I  was  received  by  one  of  the  Inquisitors ;  not  ymir 
<*  friend,  (who  lives  at  a  distance  from  the  place.)  but  by  the 
"  second  Inquisitor,  Josephus  a  Doloribus,  the  chief  agent  of 
"  the  Inquisition,  and  the  most  learned  man  of  the  place. 
<«  By  this  malleus  hereticorum  was  I  received  in  his  convent 
<*of  the  Augustinians,  in  a  suite  of  chambers  next  his  owft. 
^^  He  was  extremely  communicative.  All  the  libraries  were 
"  opened ;  and  were  extensive  and  valuable  beyond  my  ex- 
<^pectation.  That  of  the  Augustinians  alone  appeared  to  be 
•<  larger  than  the  library  of  the  college  of  Fort  William. 

<«  My  object  all  this  time  was  the  Inquisition ;  and  I 
"gleaned  much  information  imperceptibly.  I  disguised  my 
"  purpose  for  the  first  three  days,  and  the  Inquisitor  refer- 
"  red  me  to  various  books  and  documents  elucidating  the 
«  very  subject  I  wanted  to  investigate ;  so  that,  on  the 
"  fourth  day,  I  attacked  him  directly  on  the  present  state 
"  of  the  Inquisition. 

'<  I  had  already  discovered  that  it  was  abolished  in  1775, 
*<  by  the  court  of  Portugal,  on  account  of  its  inhuman  rigour^ 
"  that  in  1779  it  was  restored  on  the  accession  of  the  present 
<*  Queen  ;  and  that  it  has  been  in  operation  ever  since.  On 
*<  its  restoration,  its  rigour  was  qualified  in  some  points. 
*<  It  was  not  to  have  a  public  Auto  da  Fe ;  but  it  was  per- 
<«mitted  to  have  a  private  one  annually.  The  dungeons 
"  and  torture  remain  the  same.  It  has  power  to  incarcerate 
"  for  life;  and  there  are  now  victims  in  its  cells.  The  tri- 
«  bunal  is  supported  in  its  ancient  pomp  ;  and  its  establish- 
"  ment  is  full.  In  fact,  it  is  the  only  department  which  is 
•«  alire  in  ancient  Goa. 


38S  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  Josephus  a  Doloribus  was  alarmed  when  he  discovered 
"  the  real  drift  of  my  inquiries.  I  told  him,  that  he  had 
<<  now  said  so  much,  he  might  as  well  tell  me  all ;  and  that 
«  I  should  not  leave  Goa  till  I  had  seen  the  Inquisition. 
*'  He  at  last  consented  to  shew  me  the  great  hall.  I  accom- 
"  panied  him,  clothed  in  the  solemn  robes  of  his  office. 
<*  When  I  had  surveyed  the  place  awhile  in  silence,  I  desi- 
«  red  that  he  would  now  let  me  go  below  and  visit  the  dun- 
*<  geons.  He  refused ;  and  here  our  first  contest  began. 
<«  I  told  him,  that  if  he  did  not  open  the  dungeons,  and  let  me 
**  count  the  captives,  and  inquire  into  the  periods  of  their 
"imprisonment,  and  learn  the  number  of  deaths  within  the 
"  last  year,  I  should  naturally  believe  that  he  had  a  good  rea- 
*<  son  for  the  concealment;  and  that  the  ancient  horrors  of 
"the  Inquisition  still  subsisted.  Whereas,  if  he  would  now 
<*  unbar  his  locks,  I  could  only  declare  to  the  public  the 
«*  truth  as  it  was ;  and  nothing  would  be  left  to  imagina- 
"  tion.  He  felt  the  force  of  this ;  but  answered,  that  he 
"  could  not  oblige  me,  consistently  with  his  oath  or  duty  as 
*<  an  Inquisitor.  I  observed,  that  he  had  broken  that  oath 
"  frequently,  during  the  four  last  days  ;  and  that  he  had  him- 
**  self  noticed  in  his  own  justification,  that  the  ancient  regu- 
« lations  of  the  Church  were  in  many  instances  obsolete. 
"  I  then  put  the  following  question  solemnly ;  <  Declare  to 
"  me  the  number  of  captives  which  are  at  this  moment  in  the 
*•  dungeons  below.'  <  That,  Sir,  is  a  question,'  said  he, 
<< '  which  I  must  not  answer.' 

"I  was  now  in  tlie  hall  where  the  captives  were  wont  to 
«  be  marshalled  when  they  proceeded  to  the  flames.  I  con- 
«'  templated  the  scene  awhile  with  mournful  reflection,  and 
"  then  retired.  The  alcaides  and  familiars  of  the  holy  In- 
"  quisition  stood  around  me,  wondering  at  my  introduction 
"  into  the  hall,  and  my  conversation  with  the  Inquisitor.  I 
"  went  into  a  neighbouring  cliurch,  and  ruminated  on  what 
"  I  had  seen  and  heard.  1  resolved  to  go  again  to  the  In- 
"  quisition.  The  familiars  thinking  I  had  business  with 
"the  Inquisitor,  admitted  me.  I  immediately  saw  a  poor 
"  woman  sitting  on  a  bench  in  the  great  hall.    She  appeared 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  383 

"  very  disconsolate,  and  was  waiting  to  be  called  before  the 
"tribunal  in  the  next  room.  I  went  towards  the  tribunal, 
«*  and  \vas  met  at  the  door  by  Josephus  a  Doloribus,  who 
<<  seemed  to  have  lost  his  temper  at  this  intrusion,  and  ex- 
«<claimed,^  ^  ^uid  vis  tu,  Domine?^  All  our  discourse  was 
*<  in  Latin.  I  told  him  I  wanted  to  speak  with  the  chief  In- 
"  quisitor,  who  was  then  on  tlie  bench.  I  then  looked  at 
"  the  poor  woman  very  significantly,  and  then  at  him — And 
*<  what  has  this  poor  woman  done  ?  He  was  silent,  and  im- 
"  patient  to  lead  me  out.  When  we  came  to  the  head  of  the 
"  stairs,  I  took  my  last  leave  of  Josephus  a  Doloribus,  and 
•«  repeated  once  more  in  his  ears,  what  I  had  pleasantly  pro- 
"'  nounced  before  in  our  amicable  discussions  about  the  In- 
"  quisition,  <  Delenda  est  Carthago,' 

"  Before  I  left  Goa,  I  communicated  to  him  my  intention 
<^  (I  first  declared  it  to  him  in  his  own  cell)  of  addressing 
"the  Archbishop  in  a  Latin  letter,  which  w^ould  probably  be 
"published,  on  the  four  following  subjects  : 

"  1.  The  Inquisition. 

"  2.  The  want  of  Bibles  for  the  priests. 

"  3.  The  disuse  of  public  preaching  and  instruction  in 
"  his  diocese. 

"  4.  The  state  of  the  public  libraries. 

"  This  letter  I  began  and  dated  from  the  convent  of  the 
"  Augustinians,  25th  January  1808.  I  shall  probably  print 
"  it  before  I  leave  Point  de  Galle. 

"  My  visit  at  Goa  has  excited  a  very  general  alarm 
"  among  the  priests.  The  Viceroy  wishes  success  to  my 
"  endeavours.  The  English  at  Goa  seemed  to  know  little 
"or  nothing  about  the  subject.  The  whole  Catholic  body 
"  there  are  awed  by  it;  and  it  was  said,  that  some  would 
"  suffer  in  consequence  of  my  visit ;  for  Major  B.  and 
"  others  of  the  Viceroy's  household  were  known  to  furnish 
"  me  with  every  information  in  their  power.  But  at  last  I 
"  perceived,  that  even  B.  himself,  the  philosophic,  liberal, 
"  learned  B.  was  cowed,  and  endeavoured  to  draw  off." 

On  quitting  his  friend,  Josephus  a  Doloribus,  whose  fa- 
vour and  forbearance  had  perhaps  been  conciliated  by  th« 


:384  MEMOIRS  OF 

present  of  a  small  purse  of  moidores,  previously  to  his  ad- 
mission into  the  santa  casa,  Dr.  Buchanan  confesses  in  his 
letter  to  Mr.  Brown,  that  his  own  mind  was  mucli  agitated. 

«  J  began  to  perceive,"  he  says,  **  a  cowardly  fear  of  re- 
«<  maining  longer  in  the  power  of  the  Inquisitors.  My  ser- 
«  vants  had  repeatedly  urged  me  to  go,  and  I  set  off  about 
<*  twelve  o'clock,  not  less  indignant  at  the  Inquisition  of 
«♦  Goa,  than  I  had  been  with  the  temple  of  Juggernaut." 

Dr.  Buchanan's  great  object  in  this,  as  in  all  his  research- 
es, was  not  so  much  the  gratification  of  personal  curiosity, 
as  the  discovery  of  useful  and  important  information,  with  a 
view  to  the  detection  and  the  removal  of  spiritual  and  moral 
evils.  The  suggestion  in  the  published  extracts  from  his 
journal,  as  to  the  propriety  of  an  interference  on  the  part 
of  the  British  government  with  that  of  Portugal,  for  the  abo- 
lition of  the  dreadful  tribunal  of  the  Inquisition,  had  been 
happily  anticipated,  but  did  not  render  his  animated  appeal 
upon  that  subject  superfluous ;  while  his  inquiries  relative 
to  the  moral  and  religious  state  of  the  Romish  and  Syro- 
Romish  churches  on  the  coast  of  Malabar,  led  to  efforts  to 
disseminate  the  Holy  Scriptures,  for  the  instruction  and 
illumination  of  that  numerous  ancl  long  neglected  body  of 
Christians. 

<*  In  two  hours,"  continues  Dr.  Buchanan  in  his  letter  to 
"  Mr.  Brown,  **  I  reached  New  Goa.  The  alarm  of  my  in- 
"  vestigations  had  gone  before  me.  The  English  came  to 
"  inquire  what  I  had  seen  and  heard,  and  I  told  them  all.  I 
"  staid  a  day  or  two  with  them,  and  embarked  in  a  patta- 
"  mar  (an  open  boat)  for  Bombay.  The  wind  was  contrary, 
"  and  I  was  ten  days  on  the  voyage.  I  touched  at  three  dif- 
«  ferent  places  on  the  Pirate  coast ;  Gheria,  the  celebrated 
**  fort  of  Severndroog,  &c.  One  day  we  were  driven  out  to 
tf  sea,  and  in  considerable  danger.  At  length,  however,  on 
**  the  6th  of  "February,  I  reached  Bombay." 

On  his  arri^l  at  this  Presidency,  Dr.  Buchanan  was  kind- 
ly received  by  Governor  Duncan,  and  took  up  his  abode  at 
the  house  of  Mr.  Forbes.  He  experienced  the  utmost  civili- 
ty from  the  principal  persons  of  the  settlement,  and  was  par- 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  385 

ticularly  gratified  by  the  attentionsof  Sir  James  Mackintosh. 
«*  I  i)assed  five  hours,"  he  observes  in  a  letter  to  Colonel 
Macaulay,  *<  with  Sir  James  in  his  library.  It  is  uncom- 
*»  monly  numerous  and  valuable.  He  is  a  friend  to  religion; 
**  and  professes  a  desire  to  support  me  in  all  useful  plans  for 
*'  India." 

Dr.  Buchanan  had  taken  with  him  to  Bombay  the  manu- 
script translation  of  tlie  four  Gospels  into  the  Malayalim 
language,  which  had  been  completed  by  the  Syrian  bishop 
and  his  clergy,  and  transmitted  to  Colonel  Macaulay,  intend- 
ing to  print  it  at  his  own  expense ;  an  excellent  fount  of 
types  having  been  recently  cut  at  that  place.  When  Mr. 
Duncan,  however,  heard  of  this  intention,  he  intimated  his 
wish,  that  Dr.  Buchanan  would  address  a  letter  to  the  go- 
vernment upon  the  subject,  promising  to  give  it  his  counte- 
nance and  support.  He  accordingly  availed  himself  of  this 
hint,  and,  in  an  address  to  the  Governor  in  council,  briefly 
detailed  the  circumstances  of  his  visit  to  Travancore,  and  its 
result  relative  to  the  version  of  the  Scriptures  into  the  Ma- 
labar language.  He  also  stated,  that,  on  his  arrival  at  Bom- 
bay, he  had  submitted  the  translation  of  the  four  Gospels  to 
the  judgment  of  Dr.  Drummond,  of  that  Presidency,  author 
of  the  Malabar  Grammar;  who  had  reported,  that  he  consi- 
dered it  to  be  a  faithful  version  of  the  sacred  original,  and 
easily  intelligible  by  the  common  people.  Dr.  Buchanan 
took  the  same  opportunity  of  representing  to  the  Governor 
in  council  the  importance  of  a  cheap  edition  of  the  English 
Bible  for  the  use  of  the  army,  and  of  the  English  inhabitants 
generally,  of  that  <Jountry.  In  reply  to  this  communi(^ation, 
the  Secretary  to  government  informed  him,  that  the  Gover- 
nor in  council  readily  extended  his  countenance  to  the  good 
work  which  he  was  so  laudably  meditating,  and  would  for 
that  purpose  be  disposed  to  accede  to  such  ulterior  measures 
as  might  tend  to  promote  it ;  but  that  the  communities  of 
Malabar  Christians  to  whom  he  had  adverted,  being  chiefly 
within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Presidency  of  Fort  St.  George, 
the  Governor  in  council  felt  it  to  be  his  duty  to  transmit  thi> 
ther  his  representations  upon  that  subject.     With  respect  to 


386       '  MEMOIRS  OF 

thp  supply  of  the  English  Scriptures,  the  Governor  in  coun- 
cil expressed  his  intention  of  sljortly  recommending  that 
part  of  Dr.  Buchanan's  suggestions  to  the  consideration  of 
the  Court  of  Directors,  who,  he  doubted  not,  would  be  desi- 
rous of  insuring  to  the  Europeans  at  Bombay  the  edification 
to  which  the  dissemination  of  the  holy  Scriptures  must 
materially  contribute. 

In  consequence  of  this  favourable  disposition  of  the  go- 
vernment. Dr.  Buchanan  drew  up  an  advertisement  for  a 
subscription  towards  defraying  the  expenses  of  the  printing 
of  the  Gospels  in  the  Malayalim  language ;  the  Governor 
himself  professing  his  intention  to  subscribe,  and  to  lead  the 
way  in  this  laudable  design. 

"  I  took  no  steps,  however,"  says  Dr.  Buchanan  in  a  let- 
ter to  Colonel  Macaulay,  dated  oif  Calicut,  February  27th, 
'^  till  the  last  day  of  my  stay  at  Bombay  ;  when  I  told  Mr. 
<<  Money  that  I  had  a  delicacy  in  pressing  the  subscription 
<«  when  I  was  on  the  spot,  but  that  I  should  leave  it  in  his 
«<  and  Mr.  Forbes's  hands,  and  trust  to  them  for  its  sue- 
*<  cess. 

<*  I  left  a  note  of  instructions  with  Messrs.  Forbes  regard- 
"  ing  the  appropriation  of  the  funds;  and  they  are  authori- 
"  zed  to  pay  all  bills  relative  to  the  expense  of  translating 
"  the  Scriptures  into  the  Malayalim  language,  and  of  send- 
*<  ing  learned  persons  to  Bombay  to  superintend  the  print- 
«  ing,  which  shall  have  received  your  signature. 

"  The  types  are  ready,  but  they  have  not  one  Malayalim 
<^  learned  native  in  Bombay.  The  first  thing  that  I  request 
"  of  you  is  to  send  round  two  persons  qualified  to  superintend 
<*  the  printing.  Mr.  Drummond  will  superintend  them.  It 
"  will  be  expedient  that  one  of  the  moonshees  be  a  Romish 
•*  or  Syro-Romish  priest,  for  the  reasons  mentioned  in  the 
"  advertisement. 

"The  prefaces  peculiar  to  the  Syriac  may  be  omitted; 
"  and  it  may  have  a  general  conformity  to  the  Vulgate. 

«  Some  of  the  Romish  priests  will,  perhaps,  oppose  the 
*«  design ;  but  I  have  warned  the  gentlemen  at  Bombay  of 
*<  that  circumstance.   A  Padre  L.  is  Italian  instructor  in  Sir 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  Sgy 

•*  James  Mackintosh's  family,  and  assumes  consequence. 
«  Mr.  Duncan  told  me  that  this  priest  (who  occasionally  vi- 
*<  sits  him)  had  come  to  him  in  evident  alarm,  and  announ- 
<^  ced  that  I  was  about  to  destroy  the  Inquisition,  and  to  de- 
"  clare  to  the  world  that  the  old  horrors  still  exist ;  which, 
^<  said  he,  is  not  true.  I  took  this  opportunity  of  giving  Mr. 
*<  Duncan  some  account  of  my  inquiries;  when  he  expressed 
•<  his  approbation  fully  of  my  intention,  and  urged  me  to 
"  weaken  the  Romish  interest  as  much  as  possible  in  India. 
*<  It  seems  the  priests  have  given  government  some  trouble 
•<  lately;  and  he  has  proposed  something  to  the  Madras 
*(  Presidency  on  the  subject. 

*<  It  would  take  a  fortnight  to  detail  wiiat  passed  during 
•^  my  fortnight  at  Bombay;  and  therefore  I  must  conclude. 

«  I  have  taken  my  passage  in  the  Charlton,  and  have  sc- 
"  cured  the  first  officer's  cabin,  w  hich  is  large  and  commo- 
<«  dious,  for  myself  and  Master  Drummond.  We  have  ten 
«  ladies  on  board,  and  Dr.  Pouget,  of  Surat,  a  man  of  infor- 
<*  mation. 

<^  If  you  write  a  note  to  Point  de  Galle,  I  shall  prohably 
•'«  receive  it. 

"  I  have  often  recommended  your  going  home,  and  now  I 
^i  wish  you  to  stay  two  or  three  years.  If  your  health  will 
"  allow  this,  your  stay  will  accomplish  a  great  object  for  the 
"  Church  of  Christ. 

««Your  friend  Ribeymar,  the  chief  Inquisitor,  received 
^'  me  very  kindly,  and  made  a  feast  on  the  last  day  but  one 
«  of  my  stay  ;  at  which  were  present  the  whole  staff  of  the 
*•  Santa  Casa.  He  said  he  would  answer  your  letter.  The 
^< « thieveless  errand'  I  had  to  visit  the  Inquisition  a  se- 
"  cond  time,  was  to  inquire,  whether  the  chief  Inquisitor 
"  had  written  his  letter. 

<<  I  did  not  touch  at  Cananore  or  Mangalore.  I  was 
**  afraid  of  losing  the  Inquisition  and  my  passage. 

"  On  my  arrival  in  England,  I  shall  not  fail  to  give  you 
«  some  account  of  affairs,  if  I  mix  with  men,  which  I  much 


MEMOIRS  OF 

*'  doubt ;  for  I  am  tired  of  fighting,  and  sigh  for  quiet  and 
'*  retirement. 

«  1  remain, 

"  My  dear  Sir, 

"  Very  sincerely  yours, 

<*  C.  Buchanan." 

It  may  be  satisfactory  to  add,  that  the  letter  from  the 
chief  Inquisitor  to  Colonel  Macaulay  above  referred  to, 
strongly  expressed  his  respect  for  that  gentleman,  and  the 
pleasure  which  he  had  received  from  Dr.  Buclianan's  visit, 
notwithstanding  the  freedom  of  his  inquiries  and  obser- 
vations. 

In  another  short  communication  to  Colonel  Macaulay 
about  the  same  time,  Dr.  Buchanan  mentions  a  pleasing 
mark  of  kindness  which  had  been  shewn  him  by  one  of  his 
friends  at  Calcutta,  and  informs  him  of  a  proposal  which  he 
had  made  relative  to  one  of  the  most  stupendous  and  inter- 
esting objects  of  curiosity  in  India. 

<*  Mr.  Speke  has  sent  a  beautiful  large  quarto  Bible  after 
^<  me,  as  a  keepsake.  He  had  heard  that  I  complained  of 
"  my  sight  in  reading  small  print  at  night.  And  this  is  my 
"  last  communication  with  the  learned  of  Calcutta.  Hoc 
<*  Deus  fecit, 

« I  have  put  them  on  restoring  Elephanta  at  Bombay.  I 
"  found  the  cavern  and  figures  in  a  state  of  progressive 
"  annual  dilapidation.  Mr.  Money  has  taken  up  the  subject 
"  warmly.  If  government  does  not  execute  it,  I  have  propo- 
<*  sed  a  subscription,  with  a  promise  of  five  hundred  rupees 
<«  as  soon  as  the  work  shall  commence  under  a  scientific  su- 
"  perintendant.  I  have  left  a  memorandum  of  the  subjects 
<«  of  improvement,  and  reedification,  according  to  my  idea. 
•'<  I  have  a  reason  for  wishing  that  the  Trinity  in  Unity  at 
•*  Elephanta  may  remain  while  this  lower  world  exists." 

Dr.  Buchanan  thus  adverts  to  the  same  extraordinary  re- 
mains of  antiquity,  in  writing  to  Mr.  Brown. 

"  I  have  visited  Elephanta ;  a  more  wonderful  work  than 
•'*  the  Pyramids  of  Egypt.    But  the  works  of  Providence  are 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  389 

<*  yet  more  wonderful ;  at  least  so  I  should  esteem  them  ;  for 
"  in  every  region,  and  in  every  clime,  the  loving-kindness 
<^of  God  is  magnified  in  my  experience.  May  his  grace 
<*  also  be  magnified  in  me  !    My  love  to  all  your  family." 

On  the  13th  of  March  the  Chailton  arrived  off  Point  de 
Galle,  from  which  place  Dr.  Buchanan  again  wrote  a  few 
lines  to  Mr.  Brown. 

"  I  had  intended,'*  he  says,  **  to  have  published  my  letter 
<*  to  the  Archbishop  of  Goa  at  this  place.  But  if  we  do  not 
<^  go  on  shore,  I  shall  have  no  opportunity.  I  shall  there- 
<*  fore  publish  it  at  home^. 

"  I  have  just  been  on  board  the  Piedmontaise  frigate, 
^<  which  has  been  captured  by  the  St.  Fiorenzo.  The  Pied- 
''  montaise  lost  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  men  killed  and 
"  wounded,  and  exhibited  a  scene  of  vast  carnage.  Captain 
"  Hardinge  of  the  St.  Fiorenzo  is  killed. 

^^  [  have  extensive  commissions  for  sending  good  books 
«  and  Bibles  to  Bombay,  Malabar,  and  Ceylon.  For  if  they 
<«  have  no  preachers,  they  must  read. 

"  All  is  well  on  board  this  ship,  and  I  hope  some  good 
<^will  be  done. 

<*  With  unfeigned  prayers  for  the  best  of  spiritual  bles- 
^<  sings  on  you  and  your  family, 
"  I  remain, 
"  My  dear  Sir^ 

^<  Very  affectionately  yours, 
«  C.  Buchanan." 

To  Colonel  Macaulay  Dr.  Buchanan  wrote  the  next  day, 
as  follows. 

«  My  dear  Sir, 

«  We  have  just  arrived  at  this  place,  and  see  the  Bengal 

'<  fleet  ready   to  sail ;  so  that  I  have  only  time  to  bid  you 

<«  farewell.     We  staid  three  days  at  Columbo ;  one  of  which 

«  I  passed  with  General  Maitland  at  Mount  Lavinia.   After 

a  On  his  arrival  in  England,  Dr.  Buchanan  found  it  unnecessary  to  publish  this 
letter,  the  loquisition  at  Goa  having  been  abolished. 


390  Mi^MOIRS  OF  DR.  BUCHANAN. 

"  lon.i^  and  interesting  conversations,  he  was  pleased  to  pro- 
*'  mise  that  he  would  recommend  to  his  Majesty's  govern- 
•<  ment  '  an  Ecclesiastical  Establishment  for  the  island  of 
•<  Ceylon.'  By  the  next  despatch  he  will  send  me,  under 
"  cover  to  the  Bishop  of  London,  copies  of  all  the  papers  I 
*«  wanted  relating  to  the  ecclesiastical  state  of  the  island 
<<  for  the  last  two  centuries.  He  has  agreed  to  support  the 
« translation  of  the  Scriptures  into  the  Cingalese  language. 
«  I  resided  with  the  Honourable  Mr.  Twisleton,  whom  I 
"  found  well  disposed  to  second  all  my  views.  Mr.  Hey- 
<*  wood  did  more.  I  think  he  is  disposed  to  be  zealous  as  a 
<«  pastor  to  his  people.  I  shall  correspond,  I  hope,  with 
«  both.  They  are  surprised  at  the  Governor's  full  acquies- 
<«  cence  in  the  abovfe  important  measures.  I  hope  he  will 
*«  not  retract. 

«  I  received  your  letters  for  your  brotlier,  which  I  hope  to 
«  deliver  into  his  hands.  I  am  much  obliged  to  you  for  your 
**  introduction  to  him. 

«  The  fleet  is  now  under  w^eigh  for  St.  Helena.  Fare- 
«  well. 

"  C.  Buchanan." 

••  H.  C.  Ship  Charlton,  Point  de  Galle, 
«  14  March,  18U8." 

Here  we  also  must  for  the  present  take  our  leave  of  Dr. 
Buchanan  ;  and,  while  he  is  pursuing  his  homeward  voy- 
age, resume  our  account  of  various  events  and  circumstan- 
ces connected  with  his  history,  which  occurred  during  the 
interval  between  the  publication  of  his  Ecclesiastical  Me- 
moir, and  his  return  to  this  country. 


MEMOIRS 


OF   THE 


REV.  DR.  BUCHANAN 


PART  III. 


CHAPTER  I. 

OF  the  events  referred  to  at  tlie  close  of  the  preceding- 
division  of  this  narrative,  the  first  in  order  of  time  relates 
to  the  determination  of  the  munificent  prizes  proposed  by 
Dr.  Buchanan  to  the  Universities  of  Oxford  and  Cambridge, 
in  the  year  1805.  It  has  been  already  stated,  that  tlie  time 
assigned  for  this  purpose  was  the  4th  of  June  1807  ;  on 
which  day,  the  prize  was  adjudged  at  Oxford  to  the  Author 
of  these  Memoirs.  At  Cambridge  some  circumstances  oc- 
curred which  prevented  any  decision  upon  the  subject;  and 
which  the  following  letter  from  the  Vice- Chancellor  of  that 
University  to  Dr.  Buchanan  will  sufficiently  explain. 

<«  Reverend  Sir, 

<f  The  sum  of  five  hundred  pounds  proposed  by  you  for 
•<  the  best  Essay  on  *  The  probable  Design  of  divine  Pro- 
"  vidence  in  subjecting  so  large  a  Portion  of  India  to  the 
"  British  Empire.'  &c.  was  accepted  by  the  University ; 
*<  and  Dr.  Milner,  Dr.  Jowett,  and  Dr.  Outram,  appointed 
«  to  read  the  compositions,  and  decide  upon  their  respective 
«'  merits. 

«  Of  all  that  were  sent  in  within  the  appointed  time,  not 
^<  one  was  deemed  worthy  of  so  magnificent  a  prize.  Ano- 
<«  ther  came  a  few  days  after  the  time,  which  was  unani- 
«« mously  preferred  to  all  the  rest ;  and  to  which  the  exami- 


393  MEMOIRS  OF 

'<  ners  would  without  the  least  hesitation  have  adjudged  the 
♦^  prize,  but  did  not  think  themselves  authorized  to  do  so, 
"  without  your  special  permission,  as  one  of  the  conditions, 
"  the  presenting  the  composition  within  such  a  time,  had  not 
<*  been  complied  with. 

«  The  author  has  since  avowed  himself  to  be  the  Rev.  J. 
*<  W.  Cunningham,  M.  A.  of  St.  John's  college. 

«  Dr.  Pearce,  Vice-Chancellor  at  the  time  when  the  ex- 
**  aminers  made  their  report,  having  heard  that  you  were  on 
"  your  passage  to  England,  deferred  writing,  as  he  daily 
'<  expected  to  have  a  personal  interview  with  you  ;  and  thus 
"  has  devolved  to  me  the  office  of  communicating  to  you  the 
*<  thanks  of  the  whole  University  for  your  very  liberal  offer, 
"  and  their  regret  that  your  design  has  not  been  completely 
'<  carried  into  execution. 

<<  Though  1  have  not  the  honour  of  being  known  to  you, 
"  yet  in  admiration  of  your  character  as  the  munificent  Pa- 
"  tron  and  Promoter  of  literature, 

<*  I  subscribe  myself, 

"  With  the  greatest  respect, 

"Your  very  humble  Servant, 
"  Francis  Barnes.'' 

"St.  Peter's  College,  Cambridge, 
"  Jan.  19th,  1808." 

It  appears  that  Dr.  Buchanan  did  not  feel  himself  at  lib- 
erty to  make  any  decision  upon  the  point  stated  in  the  pre- 
ceding letter,  and  that  the  University  was  unwilling  to  re- 
sume the  official  consideration  of  the  subject.  Dr.  Buchanan, 
however,  offered  to  bear  the  expense  of  printing  Mr.  Cun- 
ningham's work. 

On  the  10th  of  May  and  the  28th  of  June  1807,  two  ser- 
mons were  preached  before  the  University  of  Cambridge, 
by  the  Rev.  Francis  Wrangham,  of  Trinity  College,  and  the 
Rev.  John  Dudley,  of  Clare  Hall,  pursuant  to  the  proposal 
of  Dr.  Buchanan  in  the  preceding  year,  on  the  translation  of 
the  Scriptures  into  tlie  oriental  languages.  Two  discourses 
on  the  same  important  subject  were  preached  before  the 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  393 

University  of  Oxford,  on  the  8th  and  29th  of  November  foJ- 
lovving,  by  the  Rev,  Dr.  Barrow,  of  Queen's  College,  and 
the  Rev.  Edward  Nares,  of  Merton  College.  The  two  former 
of  these  sermons  were  published  in  tlie  course  of  the  year 
1807,  and  the  two  latter  early  in  1808.  All  oftliem,  with 
different  degrees  of  ability  and  eloquence,  and  by  various 
considerations  and  arguments,  supported  the  duty  and  expe- 
diency of  translating  the  sacred  records  into  the  principal 
languages  of  the  East ;  and  all  strenuously  maintained  the 
general  obligation  of  this  country  to  attempt,  by  every  wise 
and  rational  method,  to  promote  the  knowledge  of  Christian- 
ity in  India.  But  the  authors  of  these  excellent  discourses, 
like  those  of  the  first  series  of  prize  compositions,  though  a 
most  able  and  efficient  corps,  formed  the  advanced  guard 
only,  if  the  expression  may  be  allowed,  of  the  main  body 
which  was  now  hastening  to  its  support,  and  whose  united 
exertions  were  eventually  crowned  with  the  most  gratifying 
and  decisive  success. 

Dr.  Buchanan's  Memoir  on  the  expediency  of  an  Ecclc 
siastical  Establishment  for  British  India,  produced,  as  might 
be  expected,  a  considerable  sensation  on  the  public  mind. 
The  subject  was  not  only  highly  important,  but  it  was  new. 
The  world  had,  indeed,  heard  much  of  East  Indian  commerce, 
policy,  and  conquests;  but  of  East  Indian  religion,  little  or 
nothing.  Now  and  then  the  name  of  a  chaplain  to  the  Com- 
pany had  been  mentioned,  and,  still  more  rarely,  that  of  a 
missionary  to  the  Hindoos.  But,  generally  speaking,  the 
whole  subject  of  the  religion  of  India  was  little  known,  and 
still  less  regarded.  Its  European  population  was  presumed, 
without  thought  or  inquiry,  to  be  sufficiently  provided  with 
the  means  of  Christian  instruction  ;  and  as  to  the  natives, 
they  were  considered  as  a  race  so  completely  separated 
from  ourselves,  and  at  the  same  time  so  religious  and  even 
moral  in  their  own  way,  that,  with  the  exception  of  those  who 
had  heard  something  of  the  Danish  mission  on  the  coast  of 
Coromandel,  the  idea  of  converting  any  considerable  number 
of  the  Hindoos  was  either  treated  as  altogether  unnecessary, 
and  even  unjust,  or  deemed  in  the  highest  degree  visionary 

I)  3 


394>  MEMOIRS  OF 

and  impracticable.  The  admirable  writings  of  Sir  William 
Jones  had  illustrated  the  history,  the  antiquities,  and  the 
laws  of  India,  and  had  excited  some  degree  of  literary  and 
even  political  interest  in  favour  of  its  native  inhabitants  ; 
but  the  peculiarly  Christian  consideration  of  them  and  of 
their  country  was  a  topic  which  had  hitherto  been  but  inci- 
dentally noticed.  In  this  state  of  tilings,  a  work  like  the 
Memoir  of  Dr.  Buchanan,  exclusively  devoted  to  this  mo- 
mentous and  unusual  subject,  and  characterized  by  great 
boldness,  decision,  and  ability,  might  naturally  be  expected 
to  produce  a  powerful  and  various  impression  upon  the  pub- 
lic. The  more  religious  part  of  it  hailed  this  production  as 
presenting  facts  and  arguments  of  a  most  important  nature, 
and  as  opening  a  boundless  sphere  of  exertion  to  the  newly 
awakened  and  expanding  energies  of  Christian  benevolence 
and  zeal;  while  others,  and  ^hose  a  numerous  and  respect- 
able class,  considered  it  as  at  hest  a  rash  and  unauthorized 
publication,  and  even  deprecateu  it  as  tending  to  excite  dis- 
satisfaction at  home  and  disturbance  abroad.  The  growing 
extent  and  influence  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society, 
and  the  anxiety  which  it  had  evinced  to  promote  the  trans- 
lation of  the  Scriptures  into  the  oriental  languages,  added 
materially  to  tiie  displeasure  and  alarm  of  the  persons  last 
alluded  to. 

It  was  not  long  before  sentiments  and  feelings  of  a  hostile 
nature  were  publicly  avowed ;  and  it  forms  a  very  remark- 
able coincidence  of  events  in  either  hemisphere,  that  while 
attempts  were,  as  we  have  already  seen,  making  at  Calcutta 
to  arrest,  or  at  least  to  impede,  the  progress  of  Scriptural 
translation,  and  to  restrain  the  efforts  of  Christian  mission- 
aries, a  formidable  attack  was  carrying  on  in  this  country, 
with  a  view  to  check  the  ardour  which  had  been  kindled  in 
the  minds  of  multitudes  in  favour  of  both  those  great  and 
interesting  objects,  and  to  provoke  the  authoritative  interfe- 
rence of  government  to  extinguish  at  once  their  hopes  of 
effectually  promoting  them.  The  attack  in  question  origin- 
ated in  a  pamphlet  published  in  the  month  of  October  1807, 
under  the  title  of  «  A  Letter  to  the  Chtiirman  of  the  East 


DU.  BUCHANAN.  39,^ 

♦«  India  Company,  on  the  danger  of  interfering  in  the  rcli- 
**  gious  opinions  of  the  natives  of  India,  and  on  the  views  of 
"the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  as  directed  to 
*<  India."  This  pamphlet,  though  at  first  anonymous,  was 
shortly  afterwards  avowed  by  Thomas  Twining,  Esq.  a 
senior  merchant  on  the  Bengal  establishment ;  wIjo  announ- 
oed  it  as  only  the  precursor  of  a  motion,  which  he  intended  to 
bring  before  the  Court  of  East  India  Proprietors,  for  expel- 
ling from  Hindostan  all  the  Christian  missionaries,  who  were 
then  labouring  in  that  extensive  but  neglected  field  ;  and 
for  preventing  the  holy  Scriptures  from  being  circulated 
in  the  languages  of  the  East.  The  alarm  of  this  gentleman, 
wliicli  could  excite  so  formidable  an  intention,  was  no  doubt 
genuine  and  extreme  ;  though,  as  it  has  been  well  observed, 
the  changes  which  have  taken  place  since  the  date  of  his 
publication,  both  in  the  religious  state  of  India,  and  in  the 
opinion  of  the  puWic  at  large  respecting  the  propagation  of 
Christianity  in  the  East,  give  to  his  distorted  represen- 
tations the  air  of  irony  and  satire,  rather  than  of  grave 
complaint  and  serious  expostulation.  Mr,  Twining's  pam- 
phlet was  chiefly  composed  of  partial  extracts  from  the  Re- 
ports of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  and  from 
Dr.  Buchanan's  Memoir,  w'hich  undoubtedly  indicated  the 
wdsh  and  the  design  to  promote  the  knowledge  of  the  Gospel 
throughout  the  world,  and,  amongst  other  quarters,  in  wiiich 
that  knowledge  was  particularly  needed,  throughout  the 
British  dominions  in  India.  This  laudable  intention  Mr. 
Twining  interpreted  as  evidence  of  a  strong  disposition  to 
interfere,  in  some  violent  and  unwarrantable  method,  with 
the  religious  opinions  of  the  native  inhabitants,  and  as  expo- 
sing our  eastern  possessions  to  the  most  imminent  and  un- 
precedented danger. 

With  respect  to  the  share  of  the  British  and  Foreign 
Bible  Society  in  this  extraordinary  charge,  it  is  only  neces- 
sary to  refer  to  the  able  reply  published  by  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Owen,  in  the  month  of  December  following,  and  to  that  part 
of  his  History  of  the  Society,  which  relates  to  this  contro- 
versy. 


39H  MEMOIRS  OF 

The  attack  of  Mr.  Twining  upon  Dr.  Buchanan  was 
founded  partly  upon  some  passages  in  his  Memoir,  in  which 
he  discusses,  in  the  most  calm  and  benevolent  manner,  the 
duty,  the  practicability,  and  the  advantages  of  endeavouring 
to  provnote  Christianity  in  India;  and  partly  upon  the  mis- 
construction of  one  sentence,  in  which  the  acute  sensibility 
of  the  former  gentleman  led  him  to  imagine,  that  Dr.  Bu- 
chanan, in  expressing  his  opinion  as  to  the  expediency  of 
coercing  the  contemptuous  spirit  of  the  Mohammedans,  was 
desirous  of  exercising  some  species  of  compulsion  witli  re- 
spect to  the  religious  sentiments  of  our  native  subjects  in 
general.  The  term  thus  used  by  Dr.  Buchanan  may  per- 
haps be  considered  as  unfortunate,  and  he  himself,  on  being 
informed  of  the  perversion  which  it  had  suffered,  omitted  it 
in  a  subsequent  edition  of  his  Memoir;  but  even  as  it  origin- 
ally stood,  no  one,  who  had  read  that  publication  with  com- 
mon attention  and  candour,  could  so  far  mistake  the  whole 
object  of  the  writer  as  to  suppose  him  guilty  of  the  absurdity 
of  recommending,  that  the  natives  of  India  should  be  con- 
verted to  the  Christian  faith  by  force. 

Notwithstanding  the  vague  and  unsatisfactory  nature  of 
this  attempt  to  arrest  the  progress  of  Cliristianity  in  India, 
there  were  not  a  few,  who,  from  the  respectability  of  the 
quarter  from  which  it  issued,  from  ignorance  or  misconcep- 
tion of  the  subject,  from  mistaken  views  of  worldly  policy, 
from  the  want  of  any  lively  sense  of  the  infinite  value  of  the 
Gospel,  and  from  a  morbid  dread  of  every  thing  which  was 
pronounced  by  persons  affucting  local  knowledge  as  likely  to 
endanger  the  security  of  our  eastern  empire,  were  disposed 
to  favour  and  support  it. 

The  prejudice  and  alarm  which  began  to  be  excited  by 
Mr.  Twining's  pamphlet  were  increased  by  the  publication 
of  one,  and  subsequently  of  a  second,  by  Major  Scott  War- 
ing; who  inveighed  with  even  greater  warmth  and  violence 
against  the  Bible  Society,  the  missionaries  in  Bengal,  and 
the  ^lomoir  of  Dr.  Buchanan;  and,  in  addition  to  the  mis- 
representation of  his  sentiments  which  has  been  just  re- 
ferred to,  discovered  in  his  benevolent  recommendation  of 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  397 

adopting  destitute  Hindoo  children,  with  a  view  to  their  edu- 
cation in  Christian  principles,  another  proof  of  his  wish  to 
introduce  a  system  of  compulsion  in  India ! 

But  the  exertions  of  the  friends  of  religion  were  success- 
ful in  checking  the  rising  spirit  of  jealousy  and  opposition 
occasioned  by  these  publications ;  so  that  on  tlie  23d  of  De- 
cember, when  the  Court  of  Proprietors  met  at  the  India 
House,  Mr.  Twining  found  so  little  encouragement  to  pro- 
pose his  threatened  motion,  that  he  withdrew  it,  and  the 
Court  in  consequence  adjourned. 

The  important  controversy,  however,  which  had  been  thus 
begun,  did  not  terminate  here.  Early  in  the  year  1808,  it 
was  renewed  by  the  publication  of  a  pamphlet,  entitled,  a 
"  Vindication  of  the  Hindoos  from  the  aspersions  of  the  Rev. 
'^  C.  Buchanan,  M.  A.;  with  a  refutation  of  his  arguments 
«  for  an  Ecclesiastical  Establishment  in  British  India.  By 
''  a  Bengal  Officer."  This  extraordinary  publication  was 
distinguished  by  the  bold  avowal,  that  the  Hindoo  system 
little  needs  the  ameliorating  hand  of  the  Christian  dispensa- 
tion to  render  its  votaries  a  sufficiently  correct  and  moral 
people,  for  all  the  useful  purposes  of  civilized  society.  Its 
military  author,  therefore,  endeavoured  strongly  to  maintain 
the  excellence  of  the  moral  and  religious  doctrines  of  the 
Hindoos,  and  of  the  moral  character  of  the  Hindoos  them- 
selves. With  much  pretension,  however,  to  local  knowledge, 
he,  in  fact,  betrayed  much  local  ignorance,  and  with  some 
partial  information  as  to  the  speculative  system  of  the  Brah- 
minical  religion  and  morals,  great  disregard  to  its  practical 
influence,  and  total  deficiency  in  all  large  and  general  rea- 
sonings. 

The  "  Bengal  Officer,"  like  his  predecessors  in  this  w  ar- 
fare,  dealt  much  in  general  abuse  of  Dr.  Buchanan's  state- 
ments in  liis  Memoir,  but  adduced  no  one  definite  proof  of 
their  incorrectness.  And  here  it  may  be  right  to  observe, 
that  while  a  few  expressions  in  that  work  relative  to  the  ap- 
parent absence  of  religious  views  and  feelings  in  the  Euro- 
peans generally  resident  in  India,  might  be  considered  as 
somewhat  too  strongly  and  indiscriminately  hazarded,  no 


398  MEMOIRS  OF 

well-grounded  objection  to  his  representations  upon  any 
point  connected  with  his  main  argument  was  ever  substan- 
tiated. So  convinced  was  Dr.  Buchanan  himself  of  his  cor- 
rectness and  integrity  as  to  the  statements  contained  in  hia 
Memoir,  that  in  a  note  to  his  letter  to  the  Court  of  Directors 
from  Calcutta,  in  December  1807,  which  has  been  already 
mentioned,  he  ventured  to  make  the  following  appeal  upon 
this  subject. 

«^The  Memoir  of  the  expediency  of  an  Ecclesiastical  Es- 
"tablishment  for  British  India  has  now  been  in  the  hands  of 
«  our  Indian  governments  for  a  year  and  a  half,  and  I  have 
**  not  heard  that  any  one  fact  or  deduction  contained  in  that 
*<  volume  has  been  disputed  or  disproved ;  whicli  in  this 
«<  country,  where  the  merits  of  such  a  work  can  be  best  un- 
<^  derstood,  and  where  only  just  information  of  tlie  local  cir- 
<^  cumstances  therein  detailed  can  be  obtained,  and  where 
<*  moreover  there  are  fourteen  weekly  publications  to  ani- 
^<  madvert  on  that  information,  may  be  considered  as  some 
<*  testimony  to  its  general  accuracy,  as  well  as  some  ac- 
«  knowledgment  of  the  necessity  of  the  great  measure 
*<  therein  proposed." 

The  labours  of  the  friends  and  advocates  of  diffusing  Chris- 
tian knowledge  in  India  more  than  kept  pace  with  those  of 
its  adversaries.  Amongst  others,  the  venerable  Bishop  Por- 
teus'^  wrote  some  remarks  on  Mr.  Twining's  pamphlet, 
which  were  publisiied  anonymously,  and  whici),  in  a  strain 
of  animated  and  well-directed  irony,  defended  the  measures 
of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  and  what  his  Lord- 
ship termed  *<  Dr.  Buchanan's  invaluable  Memoir." 

Early  in  the  spring  appeared  Mr.  Cunningham's  *<  Essay 
»«on  tlie  duty,  means,  and  consequences  of  introducing  the 
"  Cliristian  religion  among  the  native  inliabitants  of  the 
•'British  dominions  in  the  East;"  forming  a  part  of  the 
work  which  he  liad  submitted  to  the  University  of  Cam- 
bridge, as  a  candidate  for  Dr.  Buchanan's  prize.  The  main 
argument  of  this  able  and  elaborate  publication  was  founded 

*Sec  Owen's  History  of  tlie  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  vol.  i,  p,  350. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  399 

upon  the  malignant  and  pernicious  nature  of  the  Hindoo  su- 
perstition ;  which  was  here  so  completely  developed,  as  not 
only  to  form  a  decisive  answer  to  the  statements  of  such  wri- 
ters as  the  Bengal  Officer,  but  to  prove  the  obligation  of 
Great  Britain  to  communicate  that  divine  system  of  faith 
and  morals,  by  which  alone  the  civil  and  religious  character 
of  the  natives  of  India  can  be  effectually  improved. 

Mr.  Cunningham's  Essay  was  followed  by  the  Prize  Dis- 
sertation of  the  author  of  these  Memoirs ;  of  which  he  will 
only  observe,  that  he  will  ever  esteem  it  one  of  the  chief 
privileges  and  blessings  of  his  life  to  have  contributed,  in 
whatever  degree,  to  the  accomplishment  of  the  great  end 
which  the  admirable  proposer  of  the  subject  had  in  view; 
the  infinite  importance  of  which  is  confirmed  by  every  year's 
experience,  and  cannot  fail  ere  long  to  be  universally  ac 
knowledged.  . 

One  other  work  remains  to  be  mentioned  of  singular  ex- 
cellence and  authority;  and  of  which  it  has  been  justly  re- 
marked,  that  had  it  appeared  in  an  earlier  stage  of  the  contro- 
versy, it  would  have  superseded  every  other.    This  was  the 
•  production  of  Lord  Teignmouth ;   who,  together  with  the 
principles  of  Christian  piety  and  benevolence,  brought  to 
the  consideration  of  the  weighty  subject  in  question  the  cor- 
rect and  extensive  local  knowledge  and  the  practical  wisdom 
and  experience  which  were  the  result  of  the  high  stations 
he  had  occupied  in  India.     The  temperate  and  dignified 
manner  in  which  his  Lordship  discussed  the  various  topics 
connected  with  the  controversy  before  us,  deserve  the  high- 
est admiration;  nor  is  it  too  much  to  assert,  that  his  ^'  Con- 
*«  siderations  on  the  practicability,  policy,  and  obligation  of 
"  communicating  to  the  natives  of  India  the  knowledge  of 
"  Christianity,"  w^ere  not  only  conclusive  of  the  temporary 
contest  in  which  they  appeared,  but  will  remain  a  standing 
testimony  to  the  duty  of  a  Christian  nation  towards  its  igno- 
rant and  unconverted  subjects. 

It  would  be  unjust  to  close  this  brief  enumeration  of  the 
principal  writers  in  this  controversy,  without  mentioning 
the  eminent  services  of  one  periodical  publication,  distin 


400  MEMOIRS  OF 

giiished  by  the  zeal  and  ability  with  which  it  originally  em- 
braced and  steadily  supported  the  great  cause  of  Christianity 
in  India.  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  add  the  name  of  **  the 
"  Christian  Observer;"  which,  whether  in  the  examination 
of  the  productions  on  either  side  of  the  question,  or  in  origi- 
nal communications,  may  justly  claim  a  very  considerable 
sliare  of  the  praise  which  belongs  to  its  successful  termina- 
tion. 

Thus,  as  in  the  instance  of  the  rising  opposition  at  Cal- 
cutta, the  storm  which  threatened  to  overwhelm  the  efforts 
of  Christian  benevolence  in  this  country  to  diffuse  the  know- 
ledge of  the  Gospel  in  the  East  was  quickly  dispersed;  and 
the  advocates  of  this  important  and  salutary  measure  were 
for  the  present  permitted  to  pursue  their  peaceful  and  cha- 
r^able  course  without  farther  interruption  or  disturbance. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  401 


CHAPTER  II. 


WHILE  the  controversy,  of  wliich  a  brief  view  has  been 
given,  was  thus  carrying  on,  the  person,  whose  zeal  and 
activity  had  principally  given  occasion  to  it,  was  quietly  pur- 
suing his  voyage  from  India  to  his  native  country.  Of  the 
incidents  which  occurred  during  the  five  months  which  inter- 
vened between  Dr.  Buchanan's  departure  from  Point  de 
Galle  in  Ceylon  to  his  arrival  in  England  about  the  middle 
of  August,  no  memorial  appears  to  have  been  preserved. 
The  following  extracts  from  letters  to  several  of  his  friends, 
though  they  fail  in  expressing  his  emotions  on  revisiting  his 
native  shores,  after  an  absence  of  twelve  years,  during  which 
he  had  been  employed  in  so  important  and  honourable  a  man- 
ner, and  had  experienced  such  vicissitudes  of  joy  and  sor- 
row, of  repose  and  toil,  of  gratification  and  trial,  will  yet 
afford  some  notices  of  his  proceedings.  They  will  serve  also 
to  shew  his  filial  atfection,  his  wish  for  retirement,  yet  his 
desire  of  usefulness  as  a  minister  of  the  Gospel,  and  his 
lively  interest  in  the  progress  of  true  religion  in  this 
country. 

His  first  visit,  on  his  arrival  in  London,  was  to  the  house 
of  Mr.  Newton  ;  "  but  judge,"  said  he,  to  one  of  his  corres- 
pondents, "  what  were  my  feelings,  when  I  was  informed 
"  that  my  venerable  friend  had  entered  into  rest  some 
"  mtmths  before.  I  next  proceeded  to  Cadell's  expecting  to 
<«  have  had  the  '  Christian  Institution'  put  into  my  hands  ; 
"  but  here  also  I  was  disappointed." 

Thus  deprived  of  two  of  the  principal  objects  of  his  imme- 
diate attention,  Dr.  Buchanan  turned  to  otiiers  of  a  more 
private  and  domestic  nature. 

"  London,  20th  August,  1808. 

«  1  arrived  here  two  days  ago,  and  was  happy  to  hear 
*<  that  you  and  your  family  were  well.     I  go  down  to  North- 

E  3 


4oa  MEMOIRS  OF 

«<  wold  in  a  day  or  two,  whence  1  shall  proceed  to  Scotland  to 
i'  see  my  aged  mother ',  and  on  my  return  I  hope  to  pay  you 
«  a  visit  in  Cornwall. 

"I  liave  enjoyed  good  health  on  hoard  siiip.  I  have  no 
"thoughts  of  ever  returning  to  India  again.  My  wish  is, 
"  to  take  a  cure  of  souls,  and  to  grow  old  pre  acliing  the 
<«  Gospel;  and  I  look  out  for  retirement.  The  chairman 
"  and  his  deputy  were  desirous  that  T  should  conciliate  the 
•«  Directors,  by  waiting  on  them  individually  in  the  usual 
*«  manner.  I  have  accordingly  paid  my  respects  to  them 
"  all.  It  seems,  that  on  Wednesday  next  there  is  to  be  a 
*<  grand  discussion  on  Indian  missions.  Lord  Minto  has 
«  sent  home  my  letter  to  him,  to  the  Court,  and  this  is  the 
«*  subject  which  calls  for  its  attention  on  Wednesday. 

"  In  the  mean  time  I  dismiss  it  from  my  mind  altogether, 
«  being  careless  of  the  result,  as  it  affects  myself.  I  read 
"  no  pamphlets,  and  scarcely  know  what  has  been  doing. 
"  Nor  do  I  wish  to  know  any  thing,  till  I  have  seen  my  fa- 
(i  mily  in  England  and  Scotland,  and  have  enjoyed  for  a  time 
« their  tranquil  society." 

"  Northwold,  Norfolk,  30th  Aug.  1808. 

«  I  received  your  letter  as  ^It^f!^  leaving  London.  Your 
«  affectionate  expressions  well  accord  with  your  long  proved 
«<  kindness  to  me  and  my  family.  It  would  indeed  give  me 
"  a  sincere  delight  to  visit  you  at  this  time  with  my  two 
«« little  girls  ;  but  I  have  not  lived  with  my  mother  these 
•<  twenty  years,  a  fortnight  excepted.  I  have  a  long  arrear 
«  of  filial  affection  and  personal  attention  to  bring  up,  and 
"  must  first  fulfil  this  duty. 

"  I  shall  probably  stay  over  the  winter  in  Scotland.  There 
"  is  an  Episcopal  Church  in  the  vicinity  of  my  mother's 
**  house,  where  I  may  exercise  my  ministry,  and  where  I 
"  may  possibly  remain,  if  I  should  find  my  labours  useful. 

"  Charlotte  and  Augusta  are  so  much  grown,  that  I  should 
*«  scarcely  have  known  them.  The  natural  feelings  of  chil- 
<«  dren  to  a  father,  and  of  a  father  to  his  children,  have  been 
"  displayed  in  a  remarkable  manner  in  many  instances,  and 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  4,03 

•*  with  such  powerful  sympathy,  as  has  heen  delightful  even 
♦^  to  the  heholders." 

"  Stamtbrd,  12tli  Se|)t.  1808. 

<^  Much  more  good  has  heen  done  hy  the  proposition  of 
"  the  literary  prizes  than  1  ever  expected. 

**  AVherever  1  go,  some  commotion  prevails ;  a  conflict 
•'between  light  and  darkness,  which  was  not  known  when 
•«  I  left  England  twelve  years  ago." 

"Glasgow,  28th  Sept.  18U8. 

••  We  arrived  here  on  tiie  20th  instant,  and  found  my 
•*  mother  and  family  in  fine  health,  both  in  body  and  spirit. 
'«  We  stopped  on  Sunday  at  Stamford,  on  Wednesday  at 
*<  York,  and  on  Sunday  at  Carlisle.  The  Dean  of  Carlisle, 
"  with  whom  we  dined,  lifted  up  his  voice  against  the  races 
*<  for  the  first  time.  He  had  long  heen  oppressed  in  spirit 
•«  on  the  subject;  and  he  devoted  his  last  day  of  preaching 
**  this  season  to  the  consideration  of  it.  The  cathedral  was 
<*  crowded,  and  he  preached  the  word  with  great  ejiergy  and 
**  eloquence. 

«  Mr.  S has  written  to  me,  hoping  I  am  not  offended 

•«  at  his  interfering  with  the  puhlication  of  the  hook.  1  have 
"  answered,  that  on  the  contrary   I  consider  his  and  Mr. 

"  G 's  interference  as  the  act  of  Christian  friends ;  that 

"  I  doubt  not  they  acted  for  the  best,  according  to  their  judg- 
«  mentj  but  that  I  can  form  no, opinion  on  tiie  subject  my- 
<«  self,  as  I  have  not  yet  read  the  publications  of  the  contro- 
<*  versy." 

When  the  attachment  of  Dr.  Buchanan  to  the  plan  de- 
veloped in  the  work  just  alluded  to  is  considered,  his  acqui- 
escence in  the  judgment  of  his  friends  affords  a  striking 
proof  of  his  diffidence  and  humility. 

*•  On  Sunday  last,"  Dr.  Buchanan  again  writes  from 
Glasgow,  *'  1  preached  in  the  English  church  here  to  a  crovvd- 
«  ed  auditory.  The  Presbyterians  come  to  hear,  notwith- 
"  standing  the  organ.  Both  in  England  and  Scotland  a  more 
"*  tolerant  spirit  seems  to  pervade  the  different  sects  than 
<*  formerly. 


^Q^  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  In  a  few  days  I  propose  to  leave  Scotland,  and  to  pro- 
♦•  eced  with  my  litde  girls  to  Bristol.  If  I  stay  any  longer 
•*  at  Glasgow,  I  fear  I  shall  never  get  away." 

Dr.  Buchanan  arrived  at  Bristol  on  the  21st  of  Novem- 
ber, and  on  the  25th  gave  the  following  account  of  his  jour- 
ney iVoin  the  Nortli. 

<*  I  returned  from  Scotland  by  the  way  of  Newcastle  and 
'*  Durham,  after  passing  a  week  at  Edinburgh.     I  was  fre- 

<<  quently  with   Professor ,  with  whom   I  discussed  the 

«  Edinburgh  Review,  which  I  told  him  was  denominated  in 
<»  the  middle  counties  of  England,  *  The  Northern  Blast.' 
*»  He  assured  me  that  lie  had  now  nothing  to  do  with  that 
,«*  work,  directly  or  indirectly;  and  seemed  to  lament  that 
*«  it  was  conducted  with  so  little  judgment.  I  asked  him 
**  whether  it  was  too  late  to  retrieve  its  character;  I  was 
*<  anxious  for  the  fame  of  my  countrymen  ;  the  Bishop  of 
<*  Durham  had  already  renounced  it,  and  his  example  would 
*<  soon  be  followed  by  others.  The  Reviewers  observed  in 
*«  defence,  that  most  of  the  obnoxious  articles  have   come 

•*  from  England.     told  me  that  it  was  with  the  great- 

*«  est  reluctance  the  editor  admitted  the  Review  on  Indian 
•<  Missions,  and  that  he  wrote  a  long  note  in  qualification  of 
•«  the  text. 

**  I  passed  two  days  at  Bishop's  x\uckland.  The  Bishop 
»«  entered  into  various  subjects  of  religion  and  literature  with 
*<  great  spirit.  He  told  me  it  was  true  he  had  forbidden  the 
**  Edinburgh  Review  to  lie  on  his  table.  He  did  not  think 
*<  it  right  to  sanction  a  work  which  had  so  grossly  insulted 
<*  religion.  Some  other  gentlemen  had  expelled  it  on  the 
*«  same  ground. 

"  1  took  an  opportunity  of  mentioning  to  his  Lordship, 
^<  when  he  was  asking  what  appeared  strange  to  me  after 
•»  a  twelve  years  absence,  that  I  thought  the  Bishops  seemed 
«  to  have  too  little  corrcsptmdence  with  each  other  on  the 
*<  interests  of  religion  ;  that  they  were  like  twenty-four  in- 
"  sulated  kings  or  barons  in  their  castles,  while  the  enemy 
"  were  scouring  the  plains,  and  did  not  sufficiently  encour- 
^*  age  men  of  learning  and  piety  to  come  near  them,  and 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  405 

«<  offer  their  counsel  on  subjects  connected  with  the  Church 
"  at  home  and  abroad. 

««  I  visited  Mr.  Cecil  yesterday,  who  is  close  by  me 

«  here.  He  is  much  better ;  and  is  very  anxious  that  I 
*«  should  write  the  Life  of  Svvartz.  I  was  happy  to  hear  him 
<«  talk  with  such  spirit." 

For  the  various  excellencies  of  the  eminent  minister  of 
Christ  whose  name  occurs  in  the  preceding  sentence,  and 
who  was  then  near  the  close  of  his  earthly  career,  the  author 
of  these  Memoirs  gladly  seizes  the  opportunity  of  testifying 
his  affectionate  veneration.  In  a  subsequent  letter.  Dr.  Bu- 
chanan adds  another  brief  notice  of  this  admirable  man. 

"  Notwithstanding  his  weakness,  he  seems  to  feel  a  singu- 
<<  lar  pleasure  in  hearing  me  talk  on  oriental  subjects,  and 
«  the  diffusion  of  the  Gospel  generally.  It  seems  he  once 
<*  preached  a  sermon*  which  led  to  some  inquiry  on  these 
«<  subjects ;  for  most  people,  I  perceive,  know  little  about 
^«them. 

«<  You  notice  the  spirit  so  hostile  to  you  among  your  rela- 
<«  tions.  If  it  be  merely  on  account  of  the  Gospel,  there  is 
"  nothing  more  to  be  said  or  thought  of  it  than  this,  «  That 
^'  the  reproach  of  Christ  is  great  riches  ;  and  that  to  you  it  is 
is  given  not  only  to  believe,  but  to  suffer  for  his  sake.' 

"  I  have  been  called  to  preach  a  charity  sermon  for  the 
«  Bristol  Infirmary.  And  they  now  wish  me  to  preach  the 
<*  annual  sermon  at  Mr.  Biddulph's  church,  for  '  Missions 
"  to  Africa  and  the  East.'  They  think  more  highly  of  me 
"  than  they  ought  to  think ;  but  being  now  somewhat  of  a 
^«  public  character,  my  testimony  is  acceptable.  But  my 
«  chief  employment  is  at  St.  Mary  Redcliffe. 

<<  I  have  no  thoughts  of  going  to  India.  There  is  no  pecu- 
"  liar  sphere  of  usefulness  for  me  there  ,•  nor  is  it  probable 
'« that  any  will  offer.  As  for  my  place  of  residence  for  the 
<*  remaining  years  of  my  life,  I  have  no  partiality.  I  care 
"  not  where  I  live  or  go.  It  suffieeth  that  I  am  employed 
<<  for  the  present." 

a  This  was  Mr.  Cecil's  able  and  impressive  semion  before  the  Church  Mission- 
ary Society,  in  the  year  1803. 


406  MEMOIRS  OF 

In  the  course  of  the  autumn  in  this  year.  Dr.  Buchanan 
received  two  letters  from  his  friend  Mr.  Brown,  dated  about 
two  months  after  his  own  departure  from  India ;  the  follow- 
ing extracts  from  which  are  strongly  expressive  of  that  ex- 
cellent man's  esteem  for  his  late  valuable  colleague. 

<<  I  begin,"  he  says,  <*  with  acknowledging  the  receipt  of 
*<  all  your  letters  from  Columbo,  Cochin,  Tellicherry,  Goa, 
«  Bombay,  and  lastly  from  Point  de  Galle.  The  news  all 
«  good.  Your  journey  prosperous,  and  promising  the  best 
"  fruits. 

^<  Well !  You  have  fought  your  fight,  and  finished  with  the 
"  Archbishop  of  Goa,  and  are  gone.  May  peace  and  safety 
"  attend  all  your  paths ;  and  may  the  providence  of  God  pre- 
*<  serve  you  to  embrace  your  children,  and  to  do  good  in  the 
<<  world ! 

«  I  have  the  best  accounts  of  Martyn,  Sabat,  and  Mirza. 
*«  The  Persian  and  Hindostanec  are  both  ready.  You  will 
<<  see  we  want  a  press  for  Martyn. 

«  I  send  you  a  copy  of  the  Archbishop's  letter.  No  name 
<«  was  upon  it.  The  inscription  on  the  cover  was  <  The 
«  Vice-Provost,'  and  it  was  brought  to  me. 

<^  Since  you  left  me,  war  has  been  in  all  my  gates.  But 
«  I  have  nothing  to  lose ;  neither  fame  nor  money.  Let 
<<  them  burn  me  if  they  please.  I  shall  make  as  good  a  fire 
«  as  Brahmin  women;  two  of  whom  were  burnt  last  week 
«  near  us  ;  one  before  my  eyes.  I  get  disgusted  and  indig- 
«'  nant  on  these  occasions,  and  am  always  weighed  down  for 
<«  some  days  after  witnessing  such  horrible  sacrifices  to 
<<  Moloch.  Surely  the  *  Christian  Institution'  will  demolish 
«  tliis  most  diabolical  religion. 

<*  I  now  send  you  two  copies  of  Lord  Minto's  college 
^<  speech.  Mr.  Harington,  to  whom  I  had  sent  the  i*eport  of 
"  the  Chinese  examination,  took  it  to  his  Lordship.  He 
«  doubted  at  first  whether  all  this  was  real.  To  be  certain, 
<<  he  sent  Dr.  Ley  den  to  me ;  to  whom  the  whole  was  re- 
«  hearsed,  and  who  gave  <  confirmation  strong'  to  the  rej)ort. 
«  Lord  M.  made  several  inquiries  of  me,  and  seemed  plea- 
^*  sed  with  what  had  been  done. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  407 

"  While  I  am  writing,  I  have  received  a  long  account  ot* 

•'•  the  particulars  of -'s  deatii,  from  his  son.    His  end  was 

^«  most  blessed.  The  victory  was  complete.  He  was  surpri- 
''  sed  to  be  told  he  was  dying,  but  it  did  not  discompose  him 
"  for  a  moment.  His  language  was,  *  Whom  iiave  I  in  hea- 
^^  ven  but  thee?'  He  broke  out  in  Dr.  Watts's  translation 
"  of  these  words,  which  were  his  last.  I  shall  find,  a  week 
"  or  two  hence,  some  interesting  things  to  say  in  a  funeral 
^'  sermon,  which  I  am  requested  to  preach,  and  should  have 
''  preached  if  not  requested  ;  for  these  are  our  best  occasions 
^*  for  working  on  the  dead  mass ;  and  you  were  always  dili- 
"^  gent  to  improve  them. 

<*  I  used  to  think  you  would  make  some  improvement  of 
<«  my  death.  It  must  now  be  left  to  Limrick.  Let  him  say, 
"  Alas !  my  brother,  and  I  shall  be  satisfied.  I  have  been  a 
«  brother  to  him,  and  am  yet ;  and  shall  be  when  I  die,  if  I 
"  die  before  him.  I  shall  have  something  to  add,  perhaps, 
i'  but  I  say  here. 

'*  Yours  affectionately, 

'*  D.  Brown." 

The  letter  to  which  Mr.  Brown  refers  in  the  preceding 
extract  was  from  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  ^  and  it  is 
here  added,  as  a  proof  of  his  Grace's  approbation  of  the  im- 
portant measure  which  it  was  the  great  object  of  Dr.  Bu- 
chanan's Ecclesiastical  Memoir  to  recommend,  and  of  his 
anxiety  to  promote  its  accomplishment. 

"Lambeth  Palace,  Oct.  3d,  1807. 

<*  Reverend  Sir, 
"  When  J  look  back  on  the  date  which  the  manuscript 
"  transmitted  through  your  means,  from  the  college  of  Fort 
"  William,  to  the  archiepiscopal  library  at  Lambeth,  bears 
"  upon  its  earliest  pages,  I  am  fearful  lest  I  should  appear 
<^  to  yourself,  and  to  those  with  whom  you  are  connected,  in- 
*«  sensible  to  the  value  of  this  splendid  gift,  or  strangely 
"  negligent  of  common  courtesy.  At  the  time  it  arrived,  I 
«'  was  anxiously  employed  in  communicating  with  those,  as 
*«  well  in  office,  as  out  of  office.,  who  were  best  acquainted 


408  MEMOIRS  OF 

<^  with  the  wants  of  the  Protestant  Church  in  British  India, 
*<  and  best  able  to  supply  them.  If  in  my  answer  to  your  let- 
"  ter,  written  in  the  first  pages  of  the  Koran,  I  could  have 
<«  reported  some  progress  in  the  great  work  of  regulating 
<<  the  Church  in  India,  I  should  have  felt  that  in  fulfilling  my 
<*  duty  I  had  made  the  best  return  in  my  power  for  the  mu- 
«  niiicence  I  had  experienced  from  you.  Under  this  ex- 
<<  pectation,  I  have  been  led  imperceptibly  to  a  longer  si- 
«<  lence  than  ought  to  have  have  been  permitted  ;  and  I  am 
«  now  obliged  to  break  it,  without  making  that  report,  which 
<«  would  have  been  its  best  apology.  INevertheless,  Sir,  I 
*<  will  not  despair  of  ultimate  success.  The  object  we  have 
« in  view  is  a  reasonable  object,  and  must  not  be  lightly 
"  abandoned.  It  is  not  the  spirit  of  making  proselytes  by 
"  which  we  are  actuated,  but  the  sober  wish  to  maintain, 
« in  its  purity  and  strength,  Christianity  among  Christians. 
^«  If  it  shall  please  God  through  these  means,  the  best,  I  had 
•*  almost  said  the  only  means,  in  the  hands  of  man,  to  spread 
« the  blessings  of  Christianity,  it  is  a  result  devoutly  to  be 
"  wished,  but  not  impatiently  pursued.  Experience  may 
<Miave  taught  us  that  they  are  blessings  that  will  not 
«  bear  to  be  crudely  and  prematurely  obtruded  ;  they  must 
"  be  left  to  grow  at  their  ease,  and  to  ripen  out  of  the  cha- 
<^  racter,  and  discipline,  and  doctrine  of  that  Church  which 
«  is  planted  in  India,  and  which  is  necessarily  the  object  of 
<i  daily  and  curious  observation. 

'<  I  have  the  honour  to  be, 
«  Reverend  Sir, 

"  Your  faithful  humble  Servant, 
*<  C.  Cantuar." 

The  speech  of  Lord  Minto,  copies  of  which  Mr.  Brown 
mentions  that  he  had  transmitted  to  Dr.  Buchanan,  was 
that  which  his  Lordship  delivered  on  the  21st  of  February 
1808,  after  the  annual  disputations  in  the  college  of  Fort. 
William ;  and  in  which,  amidst  his  testimony  to  the  progress 
of  oriental  literature  in  that  institution,  he  took  occasion  to 
advert  in  terms  of  high  praise  to  the  proficiency  in  the  Chi- 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  4O9 

nese  Ian.2:uage  of  the  missionaries  at  Serampore,  which  must 
have  been  peculiarly  gratifying  to  Dr.  Buchanan,  as  the 
early  friend  of  that  most  important  pursuit. 

"  I  must  not,"  said  his  Lordship,  <*  omit  to  commend  the 
<<  zealous  and  persevering  labours  of  Mr.  Lassar,  and  of 
**  those  learned  and  pious  jiersons  associated  with  him,  who 
"liave  accomplished,  for  the  future  benefit,  we  may  hope,  of 
**  that  immense  and  populous  region,  Chinese  versions,  in 
*<  the  Chinese  character,  of  the  Gospels  of  Matthew,  Mark, 
"  and  Luke ;  throwing  open  that  precious  mine,  with  all  its 
*<  religious  and  moral  treasures,  to  the  largest  associated 
^«  population  in  the  w^orld.*' 

To  this  liberal  and  enlightened  tribute  of  applause  to  the 
importance  of  the  Chinese  translation  of  the  Scriptures,  Mr. 
Brown  in  the  second  of  his  letters  to  Dr.  Buchanan  added 
the  gratifying  and  unexpected  intelligence,  that  Lord  Minto 
supported  the  translations  generally,  and  had  subscribed  to 
some  of  the  works  then  carrying  on  at  the  Serampore  press. 
The  following  extract  from  one  of  Dr.  Buchanan's  letters 
to  a  friend,  in  January  1809,  on  the  dangerous  illness  of  a 
near  relative,  as  well  as  the  tenor  of  the  concluding  remarks, 
shew  the  prevailing  piety  of  his  mind. 

**  I  sincerely  sympathize  with  you  on  this  affliction ;  but 
« the  excellent  accounts  you  give  of  her  spiritual  state  must 
"  be  your  chief  consolation.  Happy  for  her  that  her  afflic- 
<^  tion  hath  been  sanctified  !  Whatever  be  the  event,  there 
^«  is  great  room  for  praise  and  thanksgiving.  I  feel  this  the 
"  more  from  having  just  heard  that  a  beautiful  young  lady, 
"  of  good  family  and  great  fortune,  has  finished  her  course 
*<  at  the  Wells  here,  and  died  without  a  ray  of  hope.  Bles- 
"  sed  then  is  your  family,  wliich  hath  *  this  hope,'  in  the 
«*  midst  of  a  perverse  generation.  May  it  be  your  liope 
"  unto  the  end  ! 

"  All  is  well  in  India;  only  Buonaparte  is  expected.  And 
«  if  the  news  of  this  day  be  true,  he  maij  be  expected.  But 
«« <  the  Lord  reigneth,  be  the  earth  never  so  unquiet.'  I  be- 
<«  hold  the  tumult  of  the  present  scene  with  much  tranquilli- 
*«  ty.    But  we  must  be  in  the  circumstances  in  which  Miss 

p  3 


410  MEMOIRS  OF 

ii now  is,   to  be  able  to  view  it  aright ;  and  to  see  the 

"  utter  insignificance  of  things  temporal,  when  weighed  in 
*•  the  scale  with  things  eternal." 

In  a  letter  to  Mr.  Brown  about  the  same  time,  the  follow- 
ing passages  occur. 

«  People  imagine  that  I  am  meditating  war.  Nothing  is 
"  farther  from  my  thoughts.  1  am  at  present  reading  the 
<*  Bible,  and  studying  some  subjects  for  sermons  to  poor 
•*  people. 

"  I  stand  remote  from  the  world.  I  do  not  even  know 
*<  whether  tiie  Court  of  Directors  pays  my  furlough  allow- 
<<  ance.  But  on  this,  and  other  subjects,  I  shall  be  able  to 
<*  say  more  after  I  have  been  a  year  in  the  country. 

«'  The  Cliinese  printing"  (which  had  been  sent  to  bim  by 
Mr.  Brown)  **  is  very  admirable.  You  are  cheaper  too  than 
"  I  was,  when  I  gave  four  annas  for  every  character. 

**  The  arrival  of  Mr.  Thomason  will  brighten  your  pros- 
«  pects.    I  told  Mrs.  M.  her  prayers  would  bring  good  men. 

<*  Mr.  B.  here  is  a  most  useful  evanerelist.  I  shall  enclose 
«  to  you  an  account  of  the  death  of  his  daughter,  aged  four- 
*«  teen.  He  lost  four  children  in  a  year,  and  preached  nobly 
"  to  the  hearts  of  his  large  congregation  during  the  whole 
<<  period.  So  you  see  good  men  have  their  trials  on  the 
<«  banks  of  the  Severn,  as  well  as  on  the  Ganges. 

"  You  will  regret  to  hear  that  Henry  Kirke  White  was 
*<  first  proposed  to  Mr.  Thornton,"  (meaning  for  his  own 
«  benefaction  to  some  student  at  the  University,)  «  and,'' 
for  reasons  which  do  not  appear,  <*  was  rejected." 

On  the  26th  of  February  Dr.  Buchanan  preached  his  ser- 
mon, entitled  *<  The  Star  in  the  East,"  at  the  parish  church 
of  St.  James,  Bristol,  for  the  benefit  of  the  Church  Mission- 
ary Society.  This  was  the  first  of  that  series  of  able  and 
well-directed  efforts  by  which  its  excellent  Author,  in  pursu- 
ance of  the  resolution  he  Iiad  formed  in  India,  endeavoured 
to  cherish  and  extend  the  interest  he  had  already  excited  for 
the  promotion  of  Christianity  in  the  East.  The  object  of 
this  sermon  was  to  detail  some  of  the  more  prominent  proofs, 
that  «<  the  day"  had  at  length  begun  to  <«  dawn,"  and  "  the 


BU.  BUCHANAN.  ,  411 

''  day-star  to  arise"  on  the  benighted  inhabitants  of  Asia ; 
and  its  peculiar  excellence  consisted  in  the  strength  aod 
simplicity  with  which  these  evidences  were  exhibited. 

After  stating  the  labours  and  the  success  of  the  Church 
of  Rome,  and  of  the  Protestant  missionaries,  more  particu- 
larly of  the  venerable  Swartz,  Dr.  Buchanan  introduced  the 
highly  interesting  account  of  the  martyrdom  of  Abdallah, 
and  the  conversion  of  Sabat,  which  can  never  be  read  with- 
out the  deepest  emotions  of  admiration  and  pity. 

The  subsequent  apostacy  of  Sabat  from  the  faith  which  he 
once  appeared  to  have  so  cordially  embraced,  while  it  affords 
a  lamentable  proof  of  the  depravity  of  the  human  heart, 
does  not  in  the  slightest  degree  affect  either  the  truth  of  the 
narrative,  or  the  object  to  wliich  it  was  applied,  of  illustra- 
ting the  divine  efficacy  of  the  Gospel.  That  will  still  re- 
main the  same,  whether  the  unhappy  apostate  should,  as 
there  seems  to  be  some  faint  reason  to  hope*,  once  more  be 
^«  renewed  to  repentance,"  or  become  the  final  victim  of  im- 
penitence and  unbelief.  No**  ought  the  deplorable  defecticm 
of  this  once  promising  convert  to  be  adduced  as  any  proof  of 
the  want  of  judgment  or  penetration  in  Dr.  Buchanan,  and 
others^  who,  in  common  with  him,  trusted  to  the  fair  ap- 
pearance and  the  striking  evidences  of  sincerity,  which  this 
learned  but  deluded  Arabian  manifested  during  several 
years  ;  though  it  may,  and  undoubtedly  ought  to  teach  a  les- 
son, both  of  caution  to  the  Christian  minister,  and  of  humi- 
lity and  self-distrust  to  the  professed  convert,  not  only  in  the 
East,  but  in  every  quarter  of  the  world. 

The  conclusion,  however,  which  was  drawn  by  Dr.  Bu- 
chanan from  the  various  facts  he  had  enumerated,  and  which 
he  afterwards  strengthened  by  some  other  encouraging  con- 
siderations, was  sufficiently  established,  that  the  time  for 
diffusing  Christianity  in  the  East  was  come.     The  remain- 

a  In  a  letter  publisVied  in  the  Asiatic  Journal  for  January  last,  from  a  P-ince  of 
Wales's  Island  Gazette,  this  wretched  man  refers  to  Dr.  Buchanan's  accmit  of 
him  in  the  "  Star  in  the  East,"  and  affirms,  that  he  has  never  ceased  to  believe 
the  truth  of  the  Christian  religion. 

b  Particularly  the  late  Rev.  Henry  Martyn. 


4ij^  MEMOIRS  OF 

der,  therefore,  of  this  interesting  discourse  was  occupied 
with  an  earnest  and  persuasive  appeal  to  his  hearers  on  the 
duty  of  cordially  supporting  this  important  measure;  which 
is  so  appropriate  to  every  period,  and  contains  so  valuable 
a  testimony  to  thenature  and  necessity  of  spiritual  religion, 
that  it  can  scarcely  be  deemed  irrelevant  to  introduce  apart 
of  it  in  this  place. 

"  Behold  then,  my  brethren,  the  great  undertaking,  for 
♦«  the  promotion  of  which  you  are  now  assembled.  If  it 
<<  were  in  the  power  of  this  assembly  to  diffuse  the  bles- 
"  sings  of  religion  over  the  whole  world,  would  it  not  be 
"  done  ?  Would  not  all  nations  be  blessed  ?  You  perceive 
»« that  some  take  a  lively  interest  in  this  subj^^ct,  while 
"  others  are  less  concerned.  What  is  the  reason  of  this  dif- 
*«ference?  It  is  this :  every  man  who  hath  felt  the  influ- 
"  ence  of  religion  on  his  own  heart  will  desire  to  extend  the 
<<  blessing  to  the  rest  of  mankind :  whereas  he  who  hath 
"  lived  without  concern  about  the  Gospel  of  Christ  will  not 
••'  be  solicitous  to  communicate  to  others  a  gift  which  he  va- 
<<lues  not  himself.  At  tlic  same  time,  perhaps,  he  is  not 
"  willing  to  be  thought  hostile  to  the  work.  But  there  is  no 
<*  neutrality  here.  <  He  that  is  not  with  Christ,'  in  maintain- 
"  ing  his  kingdom  on  earth,  <  is  against  him.'  Every  one  of 
"  us  is  now  acting  a  part  in  regard  to  this  matter,  for  wliich 
<<  he  must  give  an  account  hereafter.  There  is  no  one,  how- 
•<  ever  peculiar  he  may  reckon  his  situation  or  circumstan- 
•'<  ces,  who  is  exempted  from  this  responsibility. 

*<  Begin  then  at  this  time  the  solemn  inquiry,  not  merely 
•<  into  the  general  truth  of  Christ's  religion,  but  into  its  di- 
<*  vine  and  converting  power.  You  observe  that  in  this  dis- 
*<  course  I  have  distinguished  between  the  name  of  Christia- 
**  nity  and  the  thing.  For  it  seems  there  are  some  persons 
•'<  in  this  country,  who  having  departed  from  the  principles 
*<  of  our  Reformation,  admit  the  existence  of  the  Spirit  of 
*<  God,  yet  deny  his  injluence ;  and  who  agree  not  with  the 
•»  Apostle  Paul^  that  the  *  Gospel  cometh  not  in  word  only,' 
•<  but  « inpotver,  and  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  in  much  assu- 
•*  ranee.' 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  4j13 

<'The  j^reat  Author  of  our  religion  hath  himself  delivered 
<'  tlie  doctrine  in  the  most  solemn  manner  to  the  world.  «  Ve- 
"rily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  Except  a  man  he  born  again, 
«  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  God.'  VenUj,  verily  ;  it  is 
««  an  undoubted  truth,  an  unchangeable  principle  of  the  hea- 
"  venly  dispensation,  that,  except  a  man  be  renewed  in  his 
"  mind  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  he  shall  not  have  power  even  to 
'f  see  or  behold  the  kingdom  of  God.  If  our  Saviour  hath  de- 
<*  livered  any  one  doctrine  of  the  Gospel  more  clearly  than 
«  another,  it  is  this  of  a  spiritual  conversion ;  and  the  de- 
«  monstration  of  its  truth  is  found  in  all  lands,  where  the 
«  true  Gospel  is  known.  Christians,  differing  in  almost 
<*  every  thing  else,  yet  agree  in  the  doctrine  of  a  change  of 
«  heart,  through  faith  in  Christ.  This  is,  in  fact,  that  which 
«« distinguishes  the  religion  of  God  in  Asia,  from  the  reli- 
<«  gions  of  men.  In  every  part  of  the  earth,  where  I  myself 
"  have  been,  this  doctrine  has  been  proclaimed  as  the  hope 
««  of  the  sinner,  and  the  glory  of  the  Saviour." 

The  services  of  Dr.  Buchanan  not  being  permanently  re- 
quired at  Bristol,  he  was  desirous  of  obtaining  some  settled 
employment ;  and,  with  the  humility  and  anxiety  to  be  ac- 
tively engaged  in  his  Master's  service,  which  had  ever  dis- 
tinguished him,  would  gladly  have  retired  to  some  country 
curacy.  «*  I  wish  too,"  he  observed  to  a  friend,  **  to  be  fixed 
«  for  a  time,  if  it  were  but  to  organize  a  library  ;"  having 
brought  scarcely  any  books  with  him  from  India,  except  tlie 
Bible. 

In  the  mean  time  he  projected  a  journey  to  the  University 
of  Oxford,  where  he  arrived  at  the  beginning  of  April,  and 
remained  about  ten  days.  His  object  in  this  visit  was  to  look 
into  the  libraries,  and  to  compare  and  collate  certain  oriental 
manuscripts.  He  appears  to  have  been  received  with  much 
civility  by  the  Heads  of  Houses,  and  to  have  been  gratified 
by  the  society  of  several  members  of  the  University.  Du- 
ring his  stay,  he  preached  at  the  parish  churches  of  St.  Mar- 
tin and  St.  Giles. 

It  might  perhaps  have  been  expected  tliat  the  University 
would  have  conferred  some  mark  of  its  respect  on  Dr.  Bu- 


414^  MEMOIRS  OF 

chanaii,  as  the  munificent  patron  and  promoter  of  oriental 
literature  and  religion.  The  University  of  Cambridge  had 
not,  indeed,  as  yet  set  the  example  of  such  a  step,  though  it 
took  the  first  appropriate  opportunity  of  so  doing.  It  may, 
however,  be  regretted,  that  no  proposal  of  any  similar  ho- 
nour should  have  been  subsequently  made  at  this  place; 
though  Dr.  Buchanan  himself  was  so  far  from  any  feeling  of 
this  nature,  that  in  a  letter  to  one  of  his  friends  shortly  after 
his  visit  to  both  Universities,  he  observed  that  they  had  been 
very  kind  to  him,  and  had  done  every  thing  that  he  wished. 
A  few  extracts  from  several  letters  written  from  Oxford, 
and  its  neighbourhood,  will  not  be  unacceptable.  The  first, 
it  will  be  seen,  is  to  one  of  the  sisters  of  the  late  Mrs.  Bu- 
chanan. 

"Oxford,  April  3,  1809- 

<'  This  is  the  day  on  which  I  was  united  in  marriage  to 
•<  your  sister  Mary.  1  rejoice  when  I  think  that  you  and  M. 
"  are  following  her  steps.  She  is  now  in  the  enjoyment  of 
•<  scenes  of  bliss,  while  we  are  afflicted  by  contests  below. 
«  But  she  had  her  day  of  affliction  also,  and  w^hen  slie  was 
«  sufficiently  purified  by  the  refiner,  she  ascended  on  high. 

"  I  hope  you  and  I  shall  be  carried  through  in  like  man- 
*^  ner,  and  leave  some  testimony  that  we  were  not  of  this 
<<  world.  How  great  is  the  change  made  by  grace  on  a  young 
« person !  May  you  be  more  and  more  conformed  to  his 
"  image,  and  learn  to  know  (what  St.  Paul  saith  passeth 
<«  knowledge)  the  length,  and  breadth,  and  height,  and  depth 
<<  of  the  love  of  Christ  to  usward. 

"  My  love  to  your  husband  ;  and  believe  me  to  be  very 
<*  affectionately  yours, 

**  C.  Buchanan." 

"Woodstock,  4th  April,   1809. 

"  I  spent  yesterday  in  the  Bodleian  Library,  and  I  am  to- 
•*  day  looking  over  the  Duke  of  Marlborough's  at  Blenheim. 
•*  He  has  a  noble  collection  of  oriental  Bibles.  I  want  to 
*^»  compare  some  Biblical  MSS.  from  the  East,  with  the  Bod- 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  415 

'*  leian  this  week,  with  the  aid  of  Drs.  White  and  Ford.  Dr. 
<*  Ford  is  a  well-informed,  vigorous  scholar ;  but  Dr.  White 
^«  seems  nearly  worn  out.  There  is  nothing  that  wears  well 
"  in  old  age  but  heavenly  learning:  a  proof  this,  that  there 
^«  is  a  ^  wisdom  which  cometh  from  above,'  It  is  only  the 
"  Christian  who  can  say, 

"  The  soul*s  dark  cottage,  batter'd  and  decay'd, 
"Lets  in  new  light  thro*  cliinks  that  time  has  made.*' 

"  Oxford,  13th  April,  1809 

<<  In  my  last  I  asked  you  to  aid  me  in  doing  a  service  to 
*«  the  English  church  in  India*.  Will  you  now  grant  a  boon 
«<  to  the  Arabian  and  Persian  church  ?  I  want  to  send  out 
<*  immediately  to  Calcutta  a  fount  of  Arabic  and  Persian 
<«  types  for  printing  the  Scriptures  and  other  works  in  these 
"  languages.  The  Persian  is  most  urgent.  I  shall  want 
<«  to  see  a  specimen  of  the  type  before  the  agreement  be  con- 
*«  eluded. 

«  I  have  been  at  Blenheim  two  days,  looking  into  the 
«  Duke  of  Marlborough's  library,  where  I  found  my  old  fel- 

«  low  collegian, — ,  author  of ,  domestic  chaplain. 

"  1  had  not  known  it  was  my  own  friend  who  was  the  author 
<*  of  that  work.  <  What,'  said  I,  *  have  you  spent  the  last 
^«  twelve  years  in  writing  verses,  and  to  be  mangled  by  the 
*<  Edinburgh  Review  after  all  V  I  urged  him  to  run  off  im- 
"  mediately.  He  possesses  noble  talents ;  and  looks  forward, 
<'  though  not  with  much  ardour,  to  the  opportunity  of  mak- 
'*  ing  a  better  use  of  them  than  he  has  hitherto  done." 

From  Oxford  Dr.  Buchanan  proceeded  to  London,  from 
whence  he  wrote  to  Colonel  Sandys  as  follows. 

"  London,  28th  April,  1809. 

"  I  received  your  last  while  I  was  at  Oxford.  I  stayed 
"  there  about  ten  days ;  and  left  a  manuscript  of  the  Gospel 
«  of  St.  John  in  the  Ethiopic  language,  which  I  found  in  the 

a  This  was  respecting  an  organ,  which  Dr.  Bachanan  had   been  requested  to 
procure  for  the  mission  church  at  Calcutta. 


116  MEMOIRS  OK 

**  East,  witli  tlie  Oriental  Professor,  Dr.  Ford,  wlio  is  going 
*'  to  collate  it.  Other  MSS.  of  the  llebrew  and  Chaldaic 
"  Scriptures  I  propose  to  deposit  in  the  public  library  of  the 
«  University  of  Cambridge.  I  proceed  thither  to-morrow, 
<*  to  preach  on  Sunday  in  Mr.  Simeon's  church. 

«<  My  friends  here  wish  me  to  take  Welbeck  chapel,  while 
^«^Mr.  White,  the  present  preacher,  goes  to  his  living  in  the 
<«  country.  If  I  find  that  my  endeavours  are  blessed,  I  shall 
<*  probably  remain  in  it.  But  it  is  rather  my  wish  to  retire 
"to  a  parish  in  the  country. 

'<  The  •  Star  in  the  East,'  I  find,  has  excited  a  general  in- 
'^terest.  I  breakfasted  yesterday  with  the  Bishop  of  London, 
<■*  who  said  he  was  sure  it  would  do  a  great  deal  of  good." 

A  few  extracts  from  various  letters  to  his  friends  will  serve 
as  a  brief  journal  of  Dr.  Buchanan's  proceedings  at  this  pe- 
riod. 

"Terrace,  High  Street,  12th  May,  1809. 

"  I  returned  yesterday  from  Hertford  college,  with  which 
"  I  was  much  pleased.  Of  course  it  owes  its  present  effi- 
«'  ciency  chiefly  to  a  wise  selection  of  professors.  Dealtry 
"  alone  would  do  honour  to  any  institution. 

"  My  friends  have  found  me  out  here,  and  my  engage- 
^«  ments  multiply;  but  after  a  short  time  I  hope  to  be  at  large. 
«  I  find  a  great  body  of  Indian  families  in  these  streets,  who 
*'  appear  to  have  really  less  religion  here  than  they  had  in 
"  the  East.  In  the  great  multitude  with  whom  they  are  now 
<'  mixed,  their  conduct  is  not  so  easily  recognized  as  in  In- 
"dia;  and  being  less  conspicuous,  they  think  themselves 
'i  less  responsible.  It  is  difficult  to  know  what  or  how  to 
"  preach  to  such.     I  must  pray  for  divine  direction. 

"  The  Ethiopic  Gospel  is  now  at  Cambridge  ;  and  one  of 
"  the  professors  is  about  to  examine  and  collate  it,  as  soon  as 
"  he  has  improved  himself  a  little  more  in  the  language. 
"  Other  persons  will  be  appointed  to  examine  the  other 
<^MSS. 

«  A  few  Sundays  ago  I  preached  the  annual  charity  ser- 
"  mon  at  the  Lock  Hospital,  where  I  found  a  great  body  of 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  4iy 

»*  the  religious  world  of  London  of  the  highest  cast.  Instead 
«  of  entertaining  them  with  news  from  India,  which,  per- 
*<  haj)s,  some  expected,  I  gave  them  an  account  of  the  spi- 
•«  ritual  resurrection." 


In  tlie  letter  which  next  follows,  Dr.  Buchanan  notices  the 
distinguished  honour  which  had  been  just  conferred  upon 
him  by  the  University  of  Cambridge,  and  adds  some  inte- 
resting particulars  respecting  his  ministry  at  Welbeck 
chapel. 

**  Cambridge  has  conferred  on  me  the  highest  honour  in 
"  her  gift.  She  petitioned  his  Majesty  to  grant  me  the  de- 
"  gree  of  Doctor  in  Divinity.  The  mandate  was  issued,  and 
"  i  received  the  degree  on  the  commencement  day  last  week. 
**  Dr.  Ramsden,  as  Regius  Professor  of  Divinity,  delivered 
••  a  speech  on  the  occasion,  in  the  name  of  tlic  University, 
•<in  which  he  referred  to  the  evangelization  of  the  East,  and 
"  to  my  endeavours.  The  Duke  of  Gloucester  and  many  of 
<<  the  nobility  were  present.  I  waited  on  the  Bishop  of 
•*  Bristol  after  my  degree,  and  received  from  his  Lordship 
•*  an  assurance,  that  he  would  ever  support  the  cause  in  which 
*<  I  Iiad  been  so  long  engaged.  He  subscribed  at  the  same 
•«  time  to  the  Bible  Society.  AH  the  Heads  of  Houses  whom 
<*  I  saw  professed  their  gratification  at  the  public  notice  the 
"  University  had  taken  of  the  subject.  I  shall  be  shortly 
•^called  to  preach  before  the  University. 

*•  I  live  very  retired  at  present;  preaching  regularly  to 
''  my  congregation,  and  attending  little  to  public  affairs. 
"  The  nobility  have  mostly  left  town;  but  their  seats  at  my 
•'*  chapel  are  filled  generally  by  the  poorer  sort.  The  Duke 
<»  of  Gordon,  Lord  R.  Seymour,  and  othei  >.  yet  remain.  I 
<<  pray  to  be  enabled  to  j)ersevere  to  the  nd  of  my  time 
<*  with  them,  next  November;  and  after  thai,  to  the  end  of 
"  my  race,  wherever  I  shall  be  called  to  run. 

<•  The  Christians  in  Travancore  are  suft'«  ;  ing  persecution, 
<*  which  may  do  them  good.  I  foresee  another  conflict  on 
**  missions ;  may  we  all  be  found  faithful  and  prudent,  wise 
»*  and  harmless  ! 

G  3 


418  MEMOIRS  OF 

*<  Before  the  nobilitj  left  town,  I  delivered  to  some  of  them 
<*  at  Welbeck  chapel  my  views  of  the  pious  and  useful  life  of 
"  the  late  Bishop  of  London.  1  noticed  liis  exertions  to  pre- 
♦«  serve  the  purity  of  public  morals;  and  gave  them  an  ac- 
*<  count  of  my  last  interview  with  the  Bishop,  a  few  days 
««  before  his  death,  and  of  his  testimony  to  serious  piety. 
«  Speaking  of  a  public  trial  then  pending,  in  which  some 
<*  allusion  had  been  made  to  the  religious  character  of  one  of 
<«  his  friends,  he  observed,  that  the  character  of  public  men 
♦<  professing  religion  was  severely  tried,  and  often  greatly 
«  misrepresented  in  the  present  age.  And,  addressing  him- 
"  self  to  the  Master  of  a  college  in  one  of  our  Universities, 
*<  then  in  company,  he  added  these  words  :  «  The  man  who 
<«  shall  at  this  day  conduct  himself  in  a  strictly  religious  man- 
<<  ner,  and  make  a  profession  of  serious  piety,  must  be  con- 
<<  tent  to  be  misunderstood  by  some,  and  called  by  a  name 
**  of  reproach.'  " 

The  following  is  a  somewhat  fuller  account  of  the  effect  of 
Dr.  Buchanan's  ministry  at  Welbeck  chapel,  from  a  letter 
to  a  friend  soon  after  he  had  left  it. 

"  The  power  of  religion  which  I  witnessed  in  Marybone 
^^  was  more  among  the  lower  than  the  higher  classes  ;  though 
*<  even  among  them  I  have  reason  to  believe  that  good  has 
"  been  done.     A  general  spirit  of  conciliation  was  manifest. 

^«  Lady retains  an  abiding  impression,  and  does  the 

*<  works  of  righteousness.     1  visited  her  frequently.     Lady 

« also  has  evinced  a  just  sense  of  true  religion,    and 

"others  of  rank.  But  the  glory  of  the  Gospel  was  chiefly 
"  manifested  in  Mrs.  B.  who  died  last  month.  She  was  but 
«  in  humble  life;  but  many  of  the  nobility  visited  her,  and 
<*  benefited  by  her  example." 

In  the  month  of  August  Dr.  Buchanan  left  London  on  a 
journey  into  Yorksiure ;  the  object  of  which  will  be  per- 
ceived by  the  following  extract  from  a  letter  to  Colonel 
Sandys. 

"  London,  31st  Aug,  1S09. 

"  I  have  been  absent  from  London  the  last  ten  days.  My 
**  friends  wished  to  know  if  1  should  like  to  fix  at  Scarbo- 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  4^9 

"  roui^lj,  if  the  advowson  of  the  livin!^  were  purchased  ;  and 
"  f  went  down  to  see  tlie  place  and  the  people.  There  is 
**  but  one  church,  and  seven  thousand  inhabitants,  besides 
<'the  visitors.  I  found  the  Rev.  Mr.  Robinson  of  Leicester 
*«  tliere  ;  and  we  both  preaclied  last  Sunday,  he  in  the  morn- 
"  ini^,  and  I  in  the  evening.  It  was  calculated  that  three 
'*  thousand  persons  were  in  church.  I  do  not  think  that  I 
•*  shall  settle  there ;  but  I  leave  the  event  to  Him  whose 
**  providence  governs  all  things. 

**  While  at  Scarborough,  I  was  hospitably  entertained  by 
"  a  family  I  have  long  heard  of,  and  wished  much  to  see, 
«*  Mr.  Thompson's  of  Kirby  Hall. 

**  I  am  glad  you  are  reading  Milner's  Church  History. 
"  He  has  combined  more  real  piety  and  sound  sense  in  these 
"  volumes  than  are  to  be  found  in  half  the  books  of  the  day. 

^<  1  am  engaged  by  Mr.  Burn  to  preach  two  sermons  at 
'^  Birmingham  on  the  8th  of  October  next,  on  some  annual 
"  occasion.  My  journey  has  refreshed  me,  I  think,  after 
"  ^ome  months  residence  in  London,  though  it  was  rapid, 
<*  and  chiefly  in  the  mail.  I  am  glad  that  William  has  such 
**  an  awful  sense  of  the  importance  of  the  ministry.  That  is 
**  more  likely  in  time  to  lead  him  to  it,  than  to  drive  him 
^«  from  it." 

About  the  first  week  in  October  Dr.  Buchanan  took  a  se- 
cond journey  into  Yorkshire,  and  returned  at  the  end  of  a 
fortnight,  for  the  purpose  of  preaching  a  series  of  sermons 
on  the  interesting  occasion  afforded  by  the  fiftieth  anniver- 
sary of  the  reign  of  our  venerable  Sovereign  ;  and  with  the 
last  of  these  discourses  he  closed  his  engagement  at  Wel^ 
beck  chapel. 


4:20  MEMOIRS  OF 


CHAPTER  111. 

EARLY  in  the  ensuing  month  Dr.  Buchanan  communi- 
cated to  the  friend  to  whom  the  preceding  letter  was  ad- 
dressed his  intention  of  again  entering  into  tlie  marriage 
state.  The  lady  with  whom  he  formed  this  second  engage- 
ment, was  the  daughter  of  Henry  Thompson,  Esq.  of  Kirby 
Hall,  near  Boroughbridge,  in  Yorkshire.  Dr.  Buchanan, 
as  we  have  already  seen,  became  acquainted  with  this  re- 
spectable family  during  his  first  visit  to  Scarborough,  and 
was  attracted  towards  Miss  Thompson  by  her  piety,  her 
active  benevolence,  and  her  filial  duty  and  affection.  This 
connection  was  particularly  agreeable  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Thompson,  and  was  universally  approved  by  the  friends  of 
Dr.  Buchanan.  The  marriage  accordingly  took  place  in  the 
month  of  February  following;  from  which  period  he  fixed 
his  residence  in  Yorkshire. 

A  few  extracts  from  his  letters  will  describe  the  plan  of 
life  upon  which  he  now  entered,  and  shew  with  how  much 
promptitude  and  diligence  he  engaged  in  the  duties  of  the 
ministry. 

"  Kirby  Hall,  March  1810. 

«  We  live  at  Moat  Hall,  or  Parsonage,  within  a  quarter 
*<of  a  mile  of  the  mansion.  I  have  undertaken  the  whole 
"  charge  of  the  parish  of  Ouseburn.  On  the  Thursday  and 
"  Sunday  evenings  I  have  a  meeting  of  my  parishioners  in 
•«  my  own  house.  I  read  a  portion  of  Scripture  to  them,  and 
<«  expound  it ;  and  generally  incorporate  the  subject  of  the 
"  lecture  in  a  prayer.  I  ought  to  be  thankful  for  the  atten- 
^<  tive  ear  of  the  people. 

«  Mrs.  Buchanan  enters  into  these  plans  with  mucii  ardour 
"  and  affection. 

'•'  After  staying  here  some  months,  I  shall  probably  return 
*<  to  London ;  at  least  my  friends  urge  me  to  resume  Wel- 
«  beck.     I  published  three  Jubilee  Sermons,  as  a  record  that 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  431 

.^  I  was  once  tliere.  They  are  passing  through  a  second 
*^  edition,  to  which  is  to  be  annexed  '  the  Star  in  the  East.' " 
The  friend  who  originally  introduced  Dr.  Buchanan  to 
Welbeck  chapel  was  anxious  that  he  should  be  permanently 
fixed  in  that  or  in  some  similar  station,  which  he  had  shewn 
that  he  was  so  well  qualified  to  fill.  He  therefore  proposed 
the  building  of  a  chapel  in  one  of  the  western  parishes  oi 
London,  and  wrote  to  Dr.  Buchanan  for  his  approbation  oi 
the  plan.     To  this  he  replied  as  follows. 

*^  \ccept  my  sincere  thanks  for  your  kind  congratula- 
-tions.  I  was  about  to  write  to  you,  that  our  correspon- 
"  dence  might  not  cease  on  account  of  distance. 

.*  I  have  next  to  thank  you,  in  the  name  of  the  Church  in 
«*  India,  for  your  zeal  in  relation  to  tlie  organ. 

ii  I  much  approve  your  proposal  for  building  a  chapel ; 
**  and  I  trust  it  will  please  Providence  to  bring  the  work  to 
.^  a  conclusion.  I  take  it  for  granted  that  you  mean  a  build- 
"  ing  which  will  contain  two  thousand  people,  with  all  the 
''  latest  improvements  in  church  accommodation,  and  propri- 
«  ety  of  decoration. 

"  I  know  not  how  it  may  please  God  to  dispose  of  my  life 
w*  and  services  in  the  revolution  of  years,  but  I  consider  the 
^'  situation  you  propose  as  highly  important ;  and  I  beg  you 
^'  will  proceed  with  your  plan  of  building  the  chapel,  under 
"  the  presumption  that  I  shall  be  its  minister. 

''  Great  simplicity,  I  think,  ought  to  be  observed  in  the 
<*  constructiim  and  finishing;  approaching  nearer  to  the 
"  Gothic  than  the  Grecian  taste,  but  not  to  be  wholly  in 
*«  either  style  ;  for  there  is  no  such  thing,  I  allege,  as  truth 
i'  in  architecture.  An  oval  or  oblong  octagon  is  by  far  the 
"  best  general  plan  of  an  edifice,  having  the  pulpit  in  the 
**  phonic  centre.  But  I  shall  submit  to  your  judgment  in  all 
«  things." 

Notwithstanding  the  apparently  promising  nature  of  this, 
and  of  a  similar  plan,  which  was  supported  by  many  opulent 
inhabitants  of  Marybone,  various  difiiculties,  well  known  to 
those  who  embark  in  such  engagements,  prevented  the  ac- 
complishment of  either  ;  and  circumstances  in  the  life  of  Dr. 


4:23  MEMOIRS  OF 

Buchanan  not  long  afterwards  occurred,  which  proved  that 
the  expectations  of  his  friends  upon  this  point  would,  as  far 
as  his  ministry  was  concerned,  have  been  but  too  soon  dis- 
appointed. In  the  mean  time  the  idea  was  mutually  che- 
rished. 

The  Jubilee  Sermons,  to  which  reference  has  more  than 
once  been  made,  were  published  early  in  the  year  1810,  and 
were  very  generally  read  and  admired.  The  threefold  view 
Dr.  Buchanan  took  of  a  subject,  which  the  well-known  cir- 
cumstances of  the  occasion  rendered  peculiarly  interesting, 
gave  him  an  opportunity  of  embracing  a  variety  of  topics, 
which  a  more  limited  plan  would  scarcely  have  allowed. 
The  first  of  these  sermons  exhibits  a  view  of  the  Mosaic  ju- 
bilee, as  a  religious,  moral,  and  political  institution  ;  toge- 
ther with  its  analogy  to  "  the  acceptable  year  of  the  Lord," 
proclaimed  by  the  Saviour  of  the  world.  The  second  was 
devoted  to  the  British  jubilee,  and  contained  an  animated 
review  of  the  political  and  religious  blessings  which  had 
been  bestowed  upon  this  favoured  country  during  the  length- 
ened reign  of  his  present  Majesty ;  amongst  the  latter  of 
which  he  particularly  dwells  on  the  preservation  of  our  na- 
tional Church  in  her  faith  and  polity,  the  increase  of  true 
religion  throughout  the  empire,  the  general  instruction  of 
the  poor,  and  the  universal  diffusion  of  the  Holy  Scriptures. 
The  last  of  these  excellent  discourses,  which  is  perhaps  the 
most  generally  useful  and  important  of  the  three,  leads  us 
forward  to  the  closing  scene  of  all,  the  heavenly  jubilee. 
The  employment  and  felicity  of  heaven,  and  the  character 
of  those  who  shall  be  admitted  to  the  celestial  jubilee,  are 
here  considered ;  and  the  whole  is  concluded  by  a  copious 
application  of  the  subject,  which  includes  the  most  important 
practical  topics,  adapted  to  the  circumstances  of  the  higher 
classes  of  society.  Amongst  these  Dr.  Buchanan  introduced 
a  powerful  appeal  as  to  the  duty  of  propagating  the  Gospel 
in,nieathen  nations.  Though  the  subject  of  these  sermons 
partook  of  an  occasional  character,  the  general  views  they 
display  will  doubthss  preserve  tliem  from  oblivion,  and  ren- 
der them  more  than  temporary  proofs  of  the  various  know- 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  403 

leds^e,  the  fervent  yet  rational  piety,  and  the  warm  yet  en- 
lightened benevolence,  which  distinguish  the  writings  of 
their  author. 

Of  the  second  edition  of  his  Jubilee  Sermons,  Dr.  Bu- 
chanan sent  a  copy  to  liis  eldest  daughter,  accompanied  by 
the  following  note. 

<*  My  dear  Charlotte, 

<«  I  have  the  pleasure  to  send  you  a  book,  which  I  hope 
*'  you  will  receive  as  a  mark  of  my  affection.  My  chief  dc- 
**  sire  in  regard  to  you  and  Augusta  is,  that  you  may  be  prc- 
^«  pared  on  earth  for  the  heavenlij  jubilee  ;  and  in  regard  to 
«'  myself,  that  I  may  meet  you  there. 

«  I  hear  from  some,  that  you  are  not  inattentive  to  religi- 
*^  ous  subjects.  This  gives  me  real  pleasure.  It  is  a  noble 
*«  thing  to  see  the  young  daughter  follow  the  steps  of  her  de- 
<'  parted  mother.  That  mother  now  rejoices  in  the  heavenly 
*<  jubilee,  and  looks  for  the  time  when  her  two  children  shall 
<*  join  her  in  singing  the  song  of  the  Lamb." 

In  the  spring  of  this  year,  Dr.  Buchanan  received  letters 
from  Mr.  Brown,  which  announced  to  him  the  tranquil  and 
even  prosperous  state  of  things  in  India,  as  to  the  promo- 
tion of  Christian  knowledge,  and  the  active  labours  of  many 
learned  and  excellent  persons  in  forwarding  the  designs  of 
his  Christian  Institution,  under  the  fostering  care  of  the 
Corresponding  Committee  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible 
Society.  Mr.  Brown  dwelt  with  peculiar  energy  and  de- 
light on  the  exertions  of  Mr.  Martyn  and  his  associates,  and 
pleaded  strongly  in  behalf  of  tlie  new  Arabic  translation  of 
the  Scriptures,  then  recently  undertaken  by  Sabat. 

Another  Indian  letter  which  Dr.  Buchanan  received  at 
this  time  was  from  the  Rev.  Mr.  Kolhoff,  the  pious  and  ex- 
cellent missionary  in  Tanjore.  It  is  dated  October  21,  1809, 
and  is  as  follows. 

"  Rev.  and  very  worthy  Sir, 

«  Your  very  kind  letter  of  the  4th  of  January  directed  to 
"  the  Rev.  Mr.  Horst  and  myself,  we  had  the  pleasure  to  re- 
*<  ceive  on  the  8th  of  July  last,  and  beg  you  to  accept  of  our 
*<  hearty  and  sincere  thanks  for  vour  kind  remembrance 


^2^  xMEMOIRS  OF 

**  of  us,  and  for  the  affectionate  regard  and  attention  you 
"  have  shewn  towards  the  mission  committed  to  our  care. 

<*  Upon  the  receiptof  your  favours,  Mr.  Horst  has,  agree- 
**  ahly  to  your  request,  without  delay,  set  about  collecting 
*<  materials  for  publishing  the  life  of  our  much  respected  and 
«  beloved  predecessor,  the  late  Rev.  Mr.  Swartz,  and  has 
«  ready  about  ten  sheets  closely  written,  which  will  give 
•<  nearly  the  same  number  in  print,  and  which  he  would 
'<  have  despatched  ere  this,  if  he  had  not  found  out  that  he 
"  had  unfortunately  omitted  several  material  points  in  the 
''  very  beginning  of  Mr.  Swartz's  life. 

<<  It  gives  us  great  pleasure  to  acquaint  you,  that  the  Ho- 
"  nourable  the  Court  of  Directors  have  taken  into  their  be- 
«  nevolent  consideration  our  humble  petition  addressed  by 
<<  us  to  the  government  of  Madras,  at  the  end  of  the  year 
<*  1806,  and  have  been  kindly  pleased  to  grant  an  addition 
"  of  seven  hundred  to  their  former  donation  of  five  hundred 
"  pagodas  on  account  of  the  Protestant  schools  of  this  mis- 
"  sion. 

"  The  resolution  of  government  came  to  our  hands  on  the 
«<  13th  of  this  month,  at  a  time  when  we  were  ready  to  de- 
^<  spond  and  sink  under  the  burden  which  oppressed  us,  and 
<*  has  given  us  a  fresh  motive  for  thankfulness  to  God  for  his 
<*  fatherly  care  towards  us.  To  you  also,  my  dear  Sir,  our 
<^  warmest  acknowledgments  are  due,  for  having  suggested 
"  that  measure  to  us,  and  we  beg  you  to  accept  the  assu- 
«*  ranee  of  our  most  lively  gratitude  for  your  friendly  advice, 
<*  which  has  had  such  a  beneficial  effect  on  the  cause  of  the 
**  mission,  and  of  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ." 

The  life  of  that  eminent  missionary,  the  venerable  Swartz, 
which  is  thus  alluded  to  in  his  worthy  successor's  letter,  was 
a  favourite  subject  with  Dr.  Buchanan.  He  had  proceeded 
so  far  with  it  as  to  be  intending  to  publish  it  a  year  or  two 
before  his  own  death  ;  but  was  prevented  from  executing  his 
plan  by  the  information  he  received  of  the  same  work  having 
been  undertaken  by  another  person.  The  papers  which  he 
had  collected  for  this  purpose  are  now  in  the  hands  of  his 
familv. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  ^25 

The  followini^  extracts  frosii  Dr.  Buchanan's  correspon- 
dence, in  the  spring  of  this  year,  will  illustrate  his  piety  and 
Christian  sympathy,  as  well  as  the  habitual  activity  and  ar- 
dour of  his  mind  with  reference  to  the  great  object  of  his 
life. 

«  Kii-by  Hall,  1st  May,  1810.^ 

<*  My  dear  Sister, 

«  Your  letter  gave  me  great  pleasure.  You  have  a  hope 
<<  of  being  restored  to  your  family  and  to  active  service  a  lit- 
"  tie  while  longer.  I  say  a  little  while  ;  for  you  must  not  look 
«  to  long  life,  unless  it  should  please  God  to  restore  you 
**  soon  to  strong  and  confirmed  health.  But  let  us  not  talk 
«  of  life,  but  of  how  we  are  to  live.  I  admire  your  expres- 
"  sion,  and  the  spirit  which  animates  it.  *  I  trust  I  have  an 
«  increasing  desire  to  devote  myself  to  the  Lord.'  May 
«  this  desire,  my  dear  Sister,  live  in  your  heart  till  you  die. 
"  It  will  be  like  <  a  well  of  water  springing  up  into  everlast- 
<*  ing  life;'  for  this  desire  of  which  you  speak  has  been  im- 
"  parted  to  you  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  which  our  Lord  com- 
«  pares  to  the  water  of  life.  « If  any  man  thirst,  let  him 
«  come  to  me  and  drink;'  and  then  it  is  added,  *This  spake 
"  he  of  the  Spirit,  which  they  that  believe  on  him  should  re- 
«  ceive.'  John  vii.  ,37.  Blessed  are  they  in  whose  hearts 
<«  this  desire  has  been  awakened  !  It  is  more  to  be  valued 
"  than  crowns  and  diadems.  How  beautiful  is  this  desire  in 
«  a  female,  and  in  a  young  person,  and  in  the  mother  of 
«  children  !  For  who  led  your  steps  to  «  the  waters'  when 
<<you  first  heard  the  invitation,  '  Ho  every  one  that  thirst- 
«*  eth?'  Behold  the  world  around  you,  how  few  thirst  for  the 
*«  waters ! 

"  I  now  behold  in  you,  your  dear  sister  Mary  thirsting 
<«  after  righteousness.  The  promise  will  be  fulfilled  to  you, 
"  as  it  was  to  her.  *  They  shall  he  filled.'  I  have  no  admoni- 
«  tion  to  give  you.  Vou  are  under  heavenly  guidance.  One 
*<  thing  I  will  notice  ;  this  is  your  season  of  prayer.  Let 
« your  prayers  be  offered  up  incessantly  at  this  time  for 
<*  your  husband  and  children  ;  first,  that  he  also  may  be  a 

H  3 


4g6  MExMOIRS  OF 

"well  of  water,  nourishing  the  souls  of  others  unto  eternal 
"  life  ;  that  he  may  *  increase,'  if  you  are  to  decrease  ;  and 
**  tliat  new  strength  may  be  given  him  as  he  approaches  the 
**  vigour  of  lite  and  understanding.  You  know  that  by  the 
««  divine  command  the  persons  appointed  to  tlje  *  service  of 
"  the  tabernacle'  were  confined  to  the  period  between  thirty 
•*  and  fifty ;  and  that  is  certainly  the  period  of  the  most  ef- 
•'  fective  service.  And  it  will  cost  him  and  me  many  a  sigh, 
**  if,  when  that  period  has  elapsed,  any  tiling  should  have 
*<  interrupted  our  zeal  and  labour  in  the  heavenly  ministra- 
*<  tion.  Secondly,  that  your  dear  children  may  grow  up  in 
**  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord.  For  now  is  the 
'*  time  to  lay  up  a  treasury  of  prayers  for  them,  which  may 
**  be  answering  when  your  spirit  is  on  high,  and  your  body 
'<  is  in  the  dust.  And  pray  for  me  also,  that  I  may  be  found 
«  faithful.  If  I  should  survive  you  in  life,  it  will  be  a  great 
*«  satisfaction  to  me,  to  reflect  that  I  once  had  your  prayers. 
*<  And  pray  for  your  brother  in  the  ministry,  and  for  your 
<«  father  and  mother,  and  all  your  family.  For  when  »  the 
"  spirit  of  grace  and  supplication  is  poured  out,'  (Zech.  xii. 
"  10.)  its  objects  are  indefinite.  When  we  <  look  upon  Him 
^<  whom  we  have  pierced,'  we  shall  be  anxious  to  bring  all 
**  we  love  to  behold  the  same  glorious  Redeemer.  Then  do 
"  we  understand  for  the  first  time  what  is  meant  by  *  chari- 
"  ty  ;'  that  charity  whose  boundless  praises  are  set  forth  in 
<*  the  13th  of  the  1st  of  Corinthians,  and  which  the  world 
•*  understands  not. 

"  My  love  to  your  brother,  and  to  my  little  girls.   Adieu. 

"  C.  Buchanan." 

"  Kirby  Hall,  16th  April,  1810. 

«  I  rejoice  to  hear  that  C.  is  alive  and  well,  and  that 
"  the  Malayalim  version  of  St.  Matthew's  Gospel  has  been 
^f  printtd.  There  are  upwards  of  two  hundred  thousand 
*<  Christians,  Catholic  and  Syrian,  who  can  read  it. 

"  I  should  gladly  aid  the  — ,  if  I  could ;  but  the 

"  truth  is,  I  have  no  papers  by  me,  not  even  of  a  year's 
•'*  standing.     When  in  India,  I  emptied  my  bureau  every 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  4^7 

»« year  regularly,  and  committed  papers  and  ietters  to 
"the  flames.  But  I  shall  think  of  something  for  you  now 
<^  and  then. 

<'  I  am  looking  out  with  some  solicitude  to  sec  what  may 
<*  be  done,  both  in  regard  to  England  and  India  ;  and  I  think 
**  Providence  will  soon  open  a  way.  In  the  mean  time, 
*•  the  Gospel  is  preached  hoth  at  home  and  abroad,  and 
"  «  the  kingdom'  advances.  It  is  ours  to  work  *  to-day.' 
"  To  (Tjj/ttf^ot;  f^Uet  f4.ct.  Christ  will  see  to  i)is  own  church 
<« '  to-morrow.'  I  pray  that  I  may  do  in  the  right  spirit  the 
<^  portion  of  work  assigned  me,  whatever  it  be ;  if  indeed  1 
*•  belong  to  the  family  of  Christ,  and  have  found  mercy  to 
"  be  faithful. 

«*  I  am  not  qualified  to  meet  the  public  eye  often.  I  am 
"  neither  copious  nor  ready ;  and  1  can  truly  say,  I  never 
«  write  what  pleases  myself.  But  I  will  give  you  bones 
"  now  and  then,  if  you  will  give  them  flesh.  And  I  pray 
**  that  you  and  I  may  increase  in  zeal  in  the  great  work. 
«^  There  is  no  zeal  without  intemperance ^  as  the  world  de- 
**  fines  it.  For  what  is  temperance  ?  Ask  first  at  the  equi- 
'^i  noctial  line,  and  then  at  Nova  Zembla.  For  so  extensive 
<*  are  the  latitudes  of  thinking  among  the  servants  of  the 
•'«  Gospel ;  even  amongst  those  who  are  promoting  most  suc- 
•«  cessfully  the  interests  of  Christ's  kingdom." 

"  Kirby  Hall,  23(1  April. 

"  The  ship  Charlton,  in  which  I  returned  from  India,  has 
•<  been  carried  into  the  Mauritius  hy  two  French  frigates. 
*<  Poor  Limrick  went  down  in  the  Calcutta,  together  with 
**  L and  his  heaps  of  paper. 

"  The  organ  for  the  mission  church  has  beeT>  shipped.  It 
•*  is  a  noble  one. 

«  #  *  ^  ^  #  Hebetude  and  illiberality  are  apt  to  creep  on 
"  our  minds  after  a  long  retirement  in  a  nook  of  the  vine- 
*<  yard.  We  need  to  be  *  withstood  to  the  face,'  like  St. 
<«  Peter,  and  to  receive  the  bastinado  on  the  soles  of  our  feet 
"  once  a  month  at  least,  to  keep  us  active  and  operative,  ac- 
••  cording  to  *  the  gift  that  is  in  us.'    Men  who  walk  in  and 


4J38  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  about  a  house  for  a  whole  life  are  at  last  afraid  of  people 
•<  who  walk  abroad,  and  begin  to  criticise  and  to  despise 
"them;  for  they  really  do  not  understand  what  they  are 
<*  doing.  And  we  must  bear  with  such.  For  we  should 
**  have  been  just  the  same  had  we  vegetated  in  a  corner." 

It  has  been  already  observed,  tljat  on  his  first  visit  to  the 
University  of  Cambridge  after  his  return  to  this  country, 
Dr.  Buchanan  presented  to  the  public  library  several  valu- 
able oriental  manuscripts,  which  he  had  procured  during  his 
journey  to  the  coast  of  Malabar.  They  were  twenty-five  in 
number,  chiefly  Biblical,  and  written  in  the  Hebrew,  Syriac, 
and  Ethiopic  languages.  Tlie  most  curious  and  important 
of  these  manuscripts  are  a  copy  of  the  Hebrew  Pentateuch, 
written  on  goat-skins,  and  found  in  one  of  the  Black  Jews' 
synagogues  at  Cochin  ;  a  copy  of  the  Bible,  containing  the 
books  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament  with  the  Apocrypha, 
written  on  large  folio  vellum,  and  in  the  ancient  or  Estran- 
gelo  character,  wliich  was  a  present  to  Dr.  Buchanan  from 
the  venerable  Bishop  of  the  Syrian  churches  ;  and  a  version 
of  the  New  Testament  into  Hebrew,  executed  by  a  learned 
Rabbi  in  Travancore,  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  years 
since.  This  version  was  transcribed  by  Mr.  Yeates,  at 
Cambridge,  by  the  appointment  and  at  the  expense  of  Dr. 
Buchanan,  chiefly  with  a  view  to  promote  the  production  of 
a  translation  of  the  New  Testament  in  tlie  pure  style  of  the 
Hebrew  of  the  Old,  for  the  benefit  of  the  Jews,  and  in  aid  of 
the  laudable  design  for  this  purpose  of  the  London  Society 
for  the  conversion  of  that  ancient  people.  The  same  labori- 
ous scholar,  in  the  year  1813,  published  a  collation  of  the  In- 
dian copy  of  the  Pentateuch,  which  had  been  also  made  at 
the  expense  of  the  munificent  donor,  and  was  printed  by  the 
Syndics  of  the  University  Press  for  the.  benefit  of  Mr. 
Yeates. 

On  the  12th  of  June,  Dr.  Buchanan  preaclied  the  annual 
sermon  before  tlie  Church  Missionary  Society,  at  St.  Anne's, 
Blackfriars.  It  was  a  grand  occasion,  and  a  collection  of 
nearly  four  hundred  pounds  proved  the  interest  excited  by 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  429 

the  preacher  on  hehalf  of  the  j^reat  objects  of  that  important 
Society.  From  the  text,  <•  Ye  are  the  light  of  the  world,'* 
Dr.  Buchanan  made  a  forcible  appeal  to  his  Christian  au- 
dience on  the  solemn  duty  attaelied  to  their  profession  of 
gi\  ini^  lij^ht  to  a  benighted  world.  After  some  excellent  ob- 
sei'vations  on  the  sermon  upon  the  mount,  for  the  purpose  of 
pointing  out  the  moral  character  of  the  *«  children  of  the 
light,"  the  preacher  observed,  that  if  Christians  wished  to  be 
"  the  light  of  the  world,"  they  would  draw  their  light  from 
Christ,  and  send  forth  preachers  bearing  the  character  which 
he  hath  delineated;  and  that  if  they  were  instruments  of  the 
^<  true  light,"  they  would  be  zealous  in  adopting  the  most 
effectual  means  of  diffusing  it.  In  discussing  these  two  pro- 
positions, Dr.  Buchanan  recurred  to  a  subject  he  was  so  well 
qualified  to  describe,  the  moral  darkness  of  the  Pagan  world, 
gave  much  interesting  information  and  suggested  many  va- 
luable hints  relative  to  missions  to  the  heathen. 

The  following  observations  on  the  Society  before  which 
this  discourse  was  delivered,  and  on  the  British  and  Foreign 
Bible  Society,  are  added  for  the  purpose  of  recording  some 
express  testimony  to  his  warm  approbation  and  support  of 
both  those  admirable  institutions. 

<*  Your  object  and  that  of  the  Bible  Society,  is  the  same. 
^i  It  is — to  give  the  Bible  to  the  world.  But,  as  that  sacred 
^^  volume  cannot  be  given  to  men  of  different  nations  until  it 
"  be  translated  into  their  respective  languages,  it  is  the  pro- 
<«  vince  of  your  institution  to  send  forth  proper  instruments 
<*  for  this  purpose.  Your  Society  is  confined  to  members  of 
"  the  Established  Church.  You  do  not  interfere  with  the 
<« «  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  in  Foreign 
<<  Parts,'  nor  with  that  *  for  promoting  Christian  Knowledge  ;' 
«  for  neither  of  these  professes  the  precise  objects  to  which 
ii  you  would  confine  yourselves.  It  does  not  seem  to  be  pos- 
«  sible  to  frame  an  objection  to  your  establishment.  When 
<<  the  design  and  the  proceedings  of  your  institution  shall 
«<  have  been  fully,  made  known,  you  may  expect  the  support 
««  of  the  episcopal  body,  of  the  two  Universities,  and  of  every 
<^  zealous  member  of  the  Church  of  England. 


430  MEMOIRS  OF 

*<  It  has  been  objected  to  that  noble  institution  to  whicli 
"  we  have  alluded,  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society, 
*<  that  it  is  in  its  character  universal;  that  it  embraces  allf 
*«  and  acknowledges  no  cast  in  the  Christian  religion  :  and  it 
*<  has  been  insinuated,  that  we  ought  not  to  be  zealous  for 
<*  Christ's  kingdom,  if  we  must  associate,  in  any  degree, 
«  with  men  of  all  denominations.  But,  surely,  there  is  an 
<*  error  in  this  judgment.  We  seek  the  aid  of  all  descrip- 
•*  tions  of  men  in  defending  our  country  against  the  enemy. 
«<  We  love  to  see  men  of  all  descriptions  shewing  their  alle- 
'<  giance  to  the  King.  Was  it  ever  said  to  a  poor  man.  You 
<^  are  not  qualified  to  shew  your  allegiance  to  the  King  ? 
**  You  must  not  cast  your  mite  into  the  treasury  of  your 
"  King  ?  My  brethren,  let  every  man  who  opposes  these  in- 
<<  stitutions  examine  his  own  heart,  whether  he  be  true  in 
"  his  allegiance  to  the  King  of  kings. 

«*  For  myself,  I  hail  the  present  unanimity  of  hitherto  dis- 
<^  cordant  bands  as  a  great  event  in  the  Church;  and  as 
"  marking  a  grand  character  of  Christ's  promised  kingdom  ; 
^i  when  <  the  leopard  shall  lie  down  with  the  kid ;  and  the 
"calf,  and  the  young  lion,  and  the  fatling  together,  and  a 
«  little  child  shall  lead  them.'  Isaiah  xi.  6.  I  consider  the 
<<  extension  and  unity  of  the  Bible  Society  as  the  best  pledge 
"  of  the  continuance  of  the  Divine  mercy  to  this  land  :  and  I 
"  doubt  not,  the  time  will  come  when  the  nation  will  reckon 
"  that  Society  a  greater  honour  to  her,  as  a  Christian  people, 
«  than  any  other  institution  of  which  she  can  boast.". 

One  scene  of  exertion  in  the  life  of  Dr.  Buchanan  was 
followed  by  another.  On  the  23d  of  June  he  thus  wrote  to 
a  friend. 

<«  I  am  appointed  by  the  University  of  Cambridge  to 
•*  preach  before  them  two  sermons  on  Commencement  Sun- 
"  day,  the  1st  of  July  next.  I  am  rather  weak  in  spirit  at 
<«  present,  and  not  strong  in  bodily  health :  but  I  JJray  for 
«  vstrength,  and  I  trust  the  Lord  will  sustain  me.  My  ser- 
"  mows  will  be  published." 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  431 

Of  Dr.  Buchanan's  Commencement  Sermons  we  shall 
have  occasion  to  speak  more  fully  when  we  notice  their  puh- 
lication.  In  the  mean  time,  the  following  hrief  account  of 
them  by  himself  to  one  of  his  friends  soon  after  they  were 
delivered  may  not  be  unacceptable  to  the  reader. 

"London,  July  Uth,  1810. 

«  Your  letter  of  the  30th  ult.  followed  me  to  London ;  for 
«« I  only  stayed  at  Cambridge  two  days  after  I  preached. 

«  I  addressed  the  students  on  the  importance  of  the  sacred 
«  office,  in  conclusion  ;  and  intimated,  that  the  time  was  now 
"  come,  when  every  man,  who  stood  on  the  side  of  religion, 
"  must  be  content  to  bear  a  name  of  reproach  ;  for  it  was  a 
"  necessary  evidence  of  his  character. 

«« I  preached  for  three  quarters  of  an  hour  in  the  morning, 
*'  and  above  an  hour  in  the  afternoon.  There  w  as  the  most 
solemn  stillness.     The  church  was  crowded. 

«*  On  the  Tuesday  following,  the  Bishop  of  Bristol  came 
"  up  to  me  in  the  Senate  House,  and  thanked  me  for  the  dis- 
«  courses,  and  expressed  a  hope  that  they  would  be  pub- 
"  lished.  Others  did  the  same.  Dean  Milner,  who  is  Vice- 
"  Chancellor,  informed  me  soon  afterwards,  that  he  thought 
"  himself  authorized  to  grant  the  imprimatur  of  the  Univer- 
''  sity  for  their  publication  ;  and  1  am  preparing  them  for  the 
«  press  accordingly.     I  mean  to  publish  important  matter  as 

<•'  an  Appendix.     Adieu. 

*'  C.  B.?' 

«•'  To  Colonel  Sandijs, 

"  Scarborough,  24th  Aug.  1810. 

«•  I  thank  you  for  your  excellent  letter  of  the  27th  July. 
.^  A  letter  from  you  is  always  worth  something.  Continue 
'<  to  pray  for  me,  and  to  exhort  me. 

*•  Since  my  arrival  here,  I  have  been  engaged  in  preach- 
«'  ing  regularly  on  Sundays  and  Wednesdays  at  the  great 
<«  church,  to  the  strangers  and  residents  at  the  Spa. 

*<  I  should  have  published  my  University  Sermons,  and 
"  many  other  things  by  this  time  ;  but  the  truth  is,  that  the 
*•  congregations  at  Scarborough,  and  the  hope  of  some  utility. 


43^  MEMOIRS  OF 

**  have  put  Cambridge  ami  its  scenes  almost  out  of  my  head. 
^*  I  preach  here  a  fortniajht  longer,  and  then  return  to  Kirby 
**  Hall.  After  my  return,  I  shall  sit  down  to  the  Cambridge 
<*  lucubrations." 

In  the  autumn  of  this  year  Colonel  Macaulay,  one  of  the 
most  valued  friends  of  Dr.  Buchanan,  returned  to  this  coun- 
try. It  is  to  this  circumstance,  and  to  the  intimate  associa- 
tion between  the  name  of  that  gentleman  and  the  Malayalim 
version  of  the  New  Testament,  that  the  following  extracts, 
from  letters  to  him,  and  to  his  brother,  Z.  Macaulay,  Esq. 
refer. 

"Kirby  Hall,  28t!.  Sept.  1810. 

'^  I  rejoice  to  hear  that  your  brother  is  soon  expected,  and 
^«  that  he  comes  by  land.  That  will  be  a  proper  ^iia^e  to 
«<  his  pilgrim  life.  I  am  happy  to  hear  that  two  Gospels  are 
"  finished  in  Malayalim.  I  had  been  informed  that  St.  Mat- 
"  thew  only  had  been  printed,  and  that  it  had  been  distribu- 
«*ted;  and  I  said  so  in  my  sermon.  But  it  is  better  now 
"  that  the  four  Gospels  should  be  distributed,  bound  up  to- 
"  gether.  I  shall  write  to  Mr.  Woodhouse  on  the  subject. 
<<  How  many  copies  has  he  sent  you  ?  If  he  has  sent  many, 
<«  I  shall  forward  them  to  Calcutta,  the  fountainhead  of  dis- 
"  tribution,  with  instructions  to  Mr.  Brown. 

"  Will  you  have  the  goodness  to  send  a  copy  neatly  bound 
*<  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Kerrich,  Librarian  of  the  University  of 
*<  Cambridge,  for  the  public  Library  ? 

"  You  may  also  send  bound  copies  to  the  Bibhe  Society, 
"  Bartlett's  Buildings  Society,  and  to  the  University  of  Ox- 
"  ford  ;  also  to  the  Universities  of  Edinburgh,  Glasgow,  St. 
"  Andrew's,  and  Aberdeen.  To  save  you  trouble,  if  you 
<'  will  put  them  into  the  hands  of  your  bookseller,  he  will 
*<  transmit  them;  and  I  will  pay  his  bill,  with  thanks  to 
•*  you." 

"  9th  October. 

"  This  is  great  news.  And  so  C.  is  thus  far  through  the 
<»  wilderness ;  once  more  in  his  native  land !    May  he  pass 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  433 

<«  through  the  Jordan  flood  at  last  with  the  voice  of  triumpli 
'<  and  thanksi^iving! 

"  Will  you  have  the  goodness  to  forward  the  trunk  to  me 
<«  as  soon  as  it  can  be  rescued  from  the  India  House  I  It  con- 
<<  tains  some  papers,  I  believe,  which  1  wish  to  see  before 
''  what  I  am  now  preparing  goes  to  press. 

<*  There  is  no  person  in  tiiis  country  who  can  improve  the 
*^  Malayalim  translation,  because  it  is  performed  by  men  to 
"  whom  the  language  is  vernacular.  It  is  not  like  the  ver- 
^<  sions  executed  by  Europeans. 

**  The  Bible  Society  may  assume  great  credit  to  itself  by 
*<  patronizing  this  version,  for  the  demand  for  copies  will 
<<  be  perpetual  and  inexhaustible;  even  until '  the  mountains 
*<  shall  be  cast  into  the  sea.' " 

<*  To  Colonel  Macaulay, 

*'  7th  November. 

*^  I  am  concerned  to  find  that  Cheltenham  is  necessary  for 
'^f  you.  But  I  think  you  will  not  remain  there  long.  A  little 
<<  of  tiie  waters  is  enough.  Pray  retreat  as  soon  as  the  cold 
<*  weather  warns  you.  The  warm  town  is  the  place  for  you. 
*•  I  have  been  at  Bath,  Clifton,  Cheltenham,  Scarborough, 
<•  since  my  return.  But  there  is  no  place  like  warm  and 
<*  busy  London  in  the  winter;  unless,  like  me,  you  had  a 
«  fireside  of  your  own,  and  a  wife  and  a  hissing  urn  and  a 
<^  sofa  to  wheel  round,  to  read  the  book  of  four  pages.  Aiio- 
<«  ther  argument  for  an  early  hejira  from  Cheltenham  is  its 
<•  unprofitable  society.  I  have  looked  through  all  these 
*<  places,  and  would  rather  pass  a  month  at  Chetwe  or  Tri- 
»*  vandupuram  with  you,  than  be  condemned  to  mix  daily 
•<  with  the  visitors  at  a  watering  place  in  our  own  country. 

<^  I  find  the  difference  of  cast  greater  here  than  in  India. 
"  I  am  thankful  that  I  can  aspire  more,  day  by  day,  to  be  of 
«  the  high  cast.  I  wish  to  be  a  pure  Namboory  among  Chris- 
<*  tians.     And  if  the  Sooders  will  not  go  off  the  road  for  me, 

<*  I  must  go  off  the  road  for  them. is  in  this  sense  a 

"  Brahmin  of  high  cast.  He  is  indeed  «  a  gift  of  God'  to  his 
*<  country;  follow  him,  even  as  he  follows  Christ. 

I   o 


4,34  MEMOIRS  OF 

ti  \  give  you  twelve  months  complete  before  you  settle ; 
**  and  if  you  settle  then,  1  shall  be  thankful ;  though  perhaps 
"  Providence  has  ordained  that  you  should  ever  continue, 
"  like  Abraham,  '  a  pilgrim  and  a  sojourner  in  the  land,  in 
<*  which  you  have  no  inheritance,  *  but  look  forward  to  ano- 
<«  ther  country,'  to  a  city  which  hath  foundations,  whose 
<i  builder  and  maker  is  God.'  Blessed  is  the  man  who  wishes 
"  not  to  build  a  city  in  this  world.  This  is  often  a  ruling 
"  passion  with  Indians  ;  they  come  home  to  build  a  city  and 

"  a  tower. is  building  a  mansion  with  seven  tur- 

"  rets  on  his  estate. 

"  Adieu,  my  dear  Sir, 

<<  C.  Buchanan." 

The  following  passage  in^  letter  to  another  friend  con- 
tains the  first  intimation  of  a  tendency  to  serious  indisposi- 
tion which  Dr.  Buchanan  appears  to  have  felt  since  his  re- 
turn from  India. 

"KirbyHall,  7th  Nov.  1810 

<*  We  returned  lately  from  Scarborough,  where  I  passed 
«  two  months,  ministering  twice  a  week  in  the  large  church 
"  there.  Since  my  return,  I  have  been  visited  with  an  in- 
<'  disposition,  which  the  faculty  do  not  seem  to  understand 
<<  very  well.  It  is  merely  a  great  quickness  of  breathing, 
«  and  great  lassitude  from  slight  exercise,  without  any  other 
"  complaint  whatever.  I  desisted  from  preaching  for  a  fort- 
"  night ;  but  mean  to  resume  it.  It  is  probably  some  illness 
''  induced  by  a  hot  climate ;  and  it  becomes  me  to  '  work 
«  while  it  is  called  to-day.' 

"  My  letters  from  India  state  that  the  Gospel  flourishes 
«  in  almost  every  quarter.  The  seed  sown  is  producing 
^«  fruit  where  there  has  been  very  little  cultivation ;  and 
<<  now  our  attention  is  directed  to  the  Malay  isles ;  for  the 
<*  whole  Dutch  empire  in  the  eastern  ocean  will  probably 
<*  soon  be  ours.  The  word  of  truth,  I  am  happy  to  inform 
<*you,  runs  and  is  glorified  in  these  parts"  (in  Yorkshire) 
<*also;  but  the  chief  evil  is,  that  it  is  rather  /as/iiowaftie 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  435 

»*  amang  the  lower  classes.  I  find  the  most  useful  preach- 
*<  ing  is  to  draw  aside  the  cloak  of  profession,  and  see  what 
^«  is  under  it.'* 

Dr.  Buchanan  was  now  employed  in  preparing  his  Cam- 
hridge  Sermons  for  the  press.  To  these  he  was  intending  to 
add  as  an  Appendix  a  variety  of  new  and  interesting  mat- 
ter, connected  with  the  great  subject  of  his  discourses,  and 
illustrating  the  progress  of  the  Gospel  in  the  East.  Dis- 
trusting, however,  his  own  judgment  upon  a  few  points, 
amongst  which  was  the  name  which  this  appendaj^e  should 
assume,  or  willing,  at  least,  to  submit  it  to  that  of  others, 
he  referred  the  whole  to  the  revision  and  ultimate  determi- 
nation of  two  or  three  able  and  judicious  friends.  It  was  to 
them  that  the  following  letters  were  addressed ;  and  they 
will  serve  at  once  to  evince  the  Christian  simplicity  and  hu- 
mility which  adorned  the  w  riter's  character. 

"  Kirby  Hall,  22d  October,  1810. 

«  Tell  K.  that  the  half  of  my  Appendix  is  gone  up.     I  re- 

<^  quested and to  expunge  any  thing  they  thought 

<•  wrong  :  and  intimated  to  them,  that  I  wished  not  to  give 
«  any  unnecessary  offence  in  word  or  manner;  but  that  it 
"was  my  purpose  to  pronounce  a  faithful  and  unequivocal 
« testimony  to  the  truth  of  the  Gospel.  I  pray  that  God 
«  will  overrule  the  evil  of  my  work  for  good  to  the  souls  ef 
<«  men.  For  it  hath  enough  of  evil,  although  I  trust  the  pur- 
"  pose  is  good. 

<«  I  do  not  want  fame,  (I  mean,  as  a  carnal  object,)  but  I 
"  wish  to  glorify  Christ  on  eartii,  as  I  can,  the  few  days  that 
"  may  remain  to  me.  I  think  with  you,  that  W.  had  enthu- 
«<  siasm  and  many  infirmities.  So  had  Luther.  JSTihilominus 
*<  sit  mea  anima  cum  iUo  /" 

The  following  passages  were  addressed  to  Colonel  Ma- 
caulay  ;  wliose  long  residence  in  the  south  of  India,  and  inti- 
mate acquaintance  with  the  principal  scene  of  Dr.  Buchan- 
an's researches,  peculiarly  qualified  him  for  the  friendlv 
office  which  he  was  requested  to  undertake. 


436  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  Kirby  Hall,  20th  December. 

«  I  shall  be  very  thankful  for  your  revision,  particularly 
*<  of  the  *  Syrian  Christians  ;'  for  I  quote  much  from  memory 
"  and  imperfect  notes.  Only  finish  it  in  your  own  words; 
*«for  lam  not  very  strong  for  study  at  present,  and  my 
*<  church  occupies  my  attention.  What  I  say  to  you,  I  say 
*«  to  your  brotiier  :  for  you  are  both  the  friends  of  the  tr  uth 
*<  in  an  evil  day. 

«I  expect  no  particular  effect  from  the  Christian  Re- 
«<  searches,  fartlier  than  affording  some  gratification  to  the 
"  advocates  for  Christianity,  and  some  vigour,  perhaps,  to 
« their  hopes. 

«  If  your  alterations  are  important,  you  may  just  mention 
**  what  they  are,  but  it  will  not  be  necessary  to  return  the 
<^  manuscript;  for  I  can  rely  rn  your  just  judgment.  I  have 
«<  rather  a  rugged  style.  Be  pleased  to  add  a  word,  and 
"  qualify  my  abruptness  when  it  offends  you." 

«  31st  December. 

"  I  concur  with  you  in  every  sentiment  contained  in  your 
<<  letter.  My  friends  in  India  have  long  urged  me  to  notice 
"  the  exertions  of  the  Church  of  England  there,  under  the 
<«  name  of  <  The  Christian  Institution  in  the  East;'  and  I 
««  was  preparing  to  publish  a  list  of  its  members  at  the  con- 
"  elusion  of  the  work.  But  the  promotion  of  Christianity  is 
<«  the  grand  object :  and  the  expressi(m  of  your  fears  is  suffi- 
<«  cient  argument  for  me  to  suppress  the  name  of  the  <  Chris- 
ty tian  Institution'  for  the  present, 

*<  Be  pleased,  therefore,  to  obliterate  the  name,  and  sub- 
*<  stitute  that  of  «  Christian  Researches  in  Asia  ;'  and  retain 
*<  as  much  of  the  introductory  pages  as  may  comport  with 
"  your  view  of  utility.  I  hsive  no  copy  by  me  ;  and  I  am  in 
<<  poor  health,  and  have  other  avocations.  I  desire  nothing 
*<  but  to  promote  the  glory  of  the  Christian  dispensation.  1 
*<  could  wish  to  make  my  work  as  Catholic  as  possible,  so 
*<  that  all  may  love  its  object.  If  you  will  make  it  such,  you 
"  will  make  me  happy.  I  want  the  work  to  be  printed  by 
*<  the  10th  of  February,  for  transmission  to  India.    India  is 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  437 

*•  more  in  my  view  than  England,  in  regard  to  its  utility, 
«  If  you  find  any  sarcnsnu  pray  expunge  it :  but  do  not  sa- 
'*  crifiee  a  word  of  truth. 

*«  I  shouhl  write  to  you  more  particularly,  but  Mrs.  Bu- 
<<  chanan's  confinement  has  been  attended  with  circumstan- 
<*  ces  which  endangered  her  life ;  and  I  think  of  little  at 
"  present  but  what  is  momentous  and  eternal.  She  is  now 
«  better." 

The  conclusion  of  the  preceding  extract  referred  to  a  sea- 
son of  great  trial  which  had  taken  place  a  few  days  before, 
and  which  after  much  suffering  had  terminated  safely.  Mrs. 
Buchanan  recovered  ;  but  the  child,  who  was  named  Clau- 
dius, survived  only  three  days.  "  On  the  morning  of  the 
*<  first  day  of  the  new  year,"  observed  his  pious  father,  "  I 
"  committed  the  little  stranger  to  his  parent  earth.  Mrs. 
«  B.  has  more  of  joy  than  sorrow  from  these  events." 

Amidst  the  anxiety  occasioned  by  the  illness  of  Mrs.  Bu- 
chanan, and  the  interruption  of  personal  indisposition.  Dr. 
Buchanan  prepared  for  the  press  his  University  Sermons, 
and  the  ^*  Christian  Researches  in  Asia."  The  subject  of 
these  Sermons  was  similar  to  that  of  his  discourse  before  the 
Church  Mission  Society,— the  diffusion  of  Christian  know- 
ledge throughout  the  world.  From  the  words  of  the  divine 
Jiat,  <<  Let  there  be  light,"  as  applied  to  the  course  of  the 
great  "  Sun  of  Righteousness,"  Dr.  Buchanan  noticed  three 
distinct  eras  of  this  heavenly  illumination  |  that  of  the  first 
promulgj^tion  of  the  Gospel,  the  Reformation  from  Popery, 
and  the  present  period.  After  an  able  and  interesting  histo- 
ric view  of  these  three  eras  of  light,  he  urged  a  series  of  ar- 
guments, to  which  a  reference  only  can  here  be  made,  to 
convince  the  Church  of  England  of  her  obligations  to  exert 
herself  in  the  great  work  of  evangelizing  the  world.  Having 
led  the  way  by  patronizing  about  a  century  since  the  Pro- 
testant mission  to  India,  it  became  her,  he  said,  to  resume 
her  former  station,  and,  <^  standing  as  she  does  like  a  Pharos 
«^  among  the  nations,  to  be  herself  the  great  instrument  of 
««  giving  light  to  the  world."  It  is,  however,  only  doing  jus- 
tice to  the  subject  of  these  Memoirs,  to  extract  a  few  passa- 


438  MEMOIRS  OF 

ges  from  the  Sermons  in  fjuestion,  which  convey  his  senti 
ments  on  the  lnnJamental  truths  of  Christianity. 

«<  That  which  constitutes  a  Christian  is  <  faith,  hope,  and 
<<  cliarity  ;  these  three,'  Much  human  learning  is  not  essen- 
*<tially  necessary  to  constitute  a  Christian.  Indeed,  a  man 
«  may  he  a  profound  theologian,  and  not  be  a  Christian  at 
"all.  He  may  he  learned  in  the  doctrines  and  history  of 
**  Christianity,  and  yet  be  a  stranger  to  the  fruits  of  Christ- 
*<  ianity.  He  may  be  destitute  of  faith,  of  hope,  and  of  cha- 
«^  rity. 

''  Let  us  not  then  confound  the  fruits  of  religion,  namely, 
*^  its  influence  on  our  moral  conduct,  its  peace  of  mind,  and 
«'  hope  of  heaven,  with  the  circumstances  of  religion.  True 
«  religion  is  that  which  its  great  Author  himself  hath  decla- 
"  red.  It  is  a  practical  knowledge  of  the  love  of  God  the 
"  Father,  ^  who  sent  not  his  Son  into  the  world,  to  condemn 
*«  the  world;  but  that  tl»e  world,  through  him,  might  be 
*<  saved  ;'  of  the  atonement  of  God  t!ie  Son,  by  faith  in  whom 
"we  receive  remission  of  our  sins,  and  are  justified  in  the 
«  sight  of  the  Father  ;  and  of  the  sanctification  of  God  the 
*^Holy  Ghost,  by  which  we  are  made  meet  <  to  become  par- 
<'  takers  of  the  inheritance  of  the  saints  in  light.' — The 
<^  preacher  who  can  communicate  this  knowledge  to  his  hear- 
«<  ers,  (and  it  is  true,  that  if  he  possess  a  critical  knowledge 
"of  the  Bible,  and  of  the  history  of  Christianity,  he  will  be 
"  likely  to  do  it  with  the  most  success,)  the  same  is  a  <  work- 
"  man  that  needeth  not  be  ashamed,  and  a  good  minister  of 
"  Jesus  Ciirist.'    1  Tim.  iv.  6. 

*<  Let  every  student  in  theology  inquire,  whether  the  reli- 
"  gion  he  professes  bear  the  true  character.  Instead  of  shun- 
"  ning  the  reproach  of  Christ,  his  anxiety  ought  to  be,  how 
"  he  may  prepare  himself  for  that  high  and  sacred  office 
»«  which  he  is  about  to  enter.  Let  him  examine  himself, 
"  whether  his  views  correspond,  in  any  degree,  with  the 
"  character  of  the  ministers  of  Christ,  as  recorded  in  the 
"  New  Testament.  «  Woe  is  unto  me,  if  I  preach  not  the 
**  Gospel.'    1  Cor.  ix.  16." 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  439 

Dr.  Buchanan  thought  it  to  be  his  duty  to  conclude  his 
discourses  before  the  University,  with  a.ejain  delivering  liis 
testimony  to  that  divine  change  which  constitutes  the  es- 
sence of  real  Christianity. 

"  This  change  of  heart,"  he  observes,  <*  ever  carries  with 
«  it  its  own  witness ;  and  it  alone  exhibits  the  same  charac- 
«  ter  among  men  of  every  clime.  It  bears  t!ie  fruit  of  right- 
«  eonsness  ;  it  affords  the  highest  enjoyment  of  life  which 
<^  was  intended  by  God,  or  is  attainable  by  man  ;  it  inspires 
"  the  soul  with  a  sense  of  pardon,  and  of  acceptance  througli 
''  the  Redeemer ;  it  gives  peace  in  death,  and  a  *  sure  and 
•'<  certain  hope  of  the  resurrection  unto  eternal  life^'  " 

The  substantial  truth  and  honest  freedom  of  these  remarks 
were  no  less  honourable  to  the  Preacher,  than  was  "  the 
*<  candid  attention,"  witli  which  he  gratefully  acknowledged 
they  were  heard,  to  the  learned  body  to  whom  they  were  ad- 
dressed. It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  add,  that  the  repetition 
of  such  sentiments  is  far  from  being  unseasonable. — May 
they  be  universally  prevalent ! 

It  has  already  sufficiently  appeared,  in  the  course  of  these 
Memoirs,  that  Dr.  Buchanan  was  far  from  being  a  mere  de- 
claimer,  either  as  to  the  evils  which  he  lamented,  or  the  re- 
medy which  he  proposed,  ^yith  respect  to  the  former,  he  did 
not  content  himself  with  the  representations  of  others,  but 
exhibited  the  result  of  his  own  personal  observations,  and 
revealed  the  gloomy  recesses  of  Asiatic  superstition,  the 
"  thick  darkness"  which  «  covers  the  people"  of  tiiat  wide- 
ly extended  region.  Splendid  too,  and  unlimited,  as  were 
the  prospects  which  he  unfolded  of  their  illumination  and  re- 
lief, and  sanguine  as  were  the  hopes  which  he  indulged  of 
their  accomplishment,  both  were  founded  upon  the  vigorous 
and  persevering  adoption  of  the  ordinary  means  within  our 
power,  and  particularly  of  the  universal  circulation  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures. 

It  was  to  the  developement  of  both  parts  of  this  picture,  of 
the  light  as  well  as  of  the  shade,  that  Dr.  Buchanan  devoted 

«  Dr.   Bucl»aiian*s  Eight  Sermons,  pp.  255,  289,  291. 


440  MEMOIRS  OF 

Iiis  Christian  Researches.  He  aceordingiy  introduced  them 
by  an  account  of  his  own  endeavours  and  those  of  Mr. 
Brown  to  promote  the  translation  of  the  Scriptures,  and  of 
his  two  journies  to  the  coast  of  Malabar,  wliich  have  been 
before  detailed.  He  then  proceeded  to  notice,  in  a  series  of 
distinct  articles,  the  Chinese,  the  Hindoos,  with  a  particular 
reference  to  the  relative  influence  of  Paganism  and  Christ- 
ianity, the  Ceylonese,  and  the  Malays.  The  Syrian  and 
Romish  Christians,  and  the  Inquisition  at  Goa,  form  the  next 
objects  of  attention  in  this  interesting  work ;  which  are  fol- 
lowed by  notices  of  the  P*  rsians,  Arabians,  and  Jews,  and  of 
the  versions  of  the  Scriptures  which  were  then  preparing, 
or  the  preparation  of  which  was  suggested,  for  the  use  of 
those  various  nations.  The  Bibliotheca  Bilica,  or  repository 
for  Bibles  in  the  oriental  languages,  comprising  a  library 
for  the  use  of  translators  of  the  Scriptures,  founded  by  the 
late  Rev.  D.  Brown,  is  next  adverted  to;  and  finally,  the 
Armenian  Christians.  Before  Dr.  Buchanan  concluded  his 
Researches,  he  recurred  to  the  subject  of  his  first  Memoir, 
and  advanced  some  new  and  forcible  arguments  in  support 
f)f  an  Ecclesiastical  Establishment  for  British  India. 

Though  it  has  been  thought  necessary  to  give  the  prece- 
ding brief  analysis  of  this  important  and  valuable  work,  it 
will  be  obvious,  that  more  was  not  required;  not  only  on  ac- 
count of  its  great  notoriety  and  extensive  circulation,  but 
because  many  of  the  topics  which  it  embraced  have  been 
already  noticed  i^  this  narrative.  The  conclusion,  however, 
of  the  Christian  Researches  demands  more  particular  atten- 
tion, because  it  comprises  what  may  be  called  the  practical 
application  of  the  whole.  Dr.  Buchanan,  like  Lord  Bacon 
himself,  aimed  not  so  much  at  inculcating  new  principles,  as 
at  exciting  anew  spirtt;  and  though  he  did,  indeed,  make 
some  important  discoveries,  as  to  the  moral  necessities  of  an 
immeirse  portion  of  the  human  race,  it  was  one  of  his  main 
objects  to  teach  others  to  follow  him  in  his  course,  and  to 
point  out  the  way  to  its  successful  pursuit.  In  this  view,  the 
concluding  observations  of  his  work  deserve  the  most  seri- 
ous consideration. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  44I 

*«  In  the  proj^ress  of  these  Researclies,  the  author  lias 
"  found  liis  mind  frequently  drawn  to  consider  the  extraor- 
«  dinary  difference  of  opinion  which  exists  among  men  of 
"learning,  in  regard  to  the  importance  and  obligation  of 
**  communicating  religious  knowledge  to  our  fellow-crea- 
"  tures.  And  lie  has  often  heard  the  question  asked  by 
<^  others,  Wliat  can  be  the  cause  of  this  discrepancy  of  opi- 
"nion?  For  that  such  a  difference  does  exist  is  most  evi- 
«*dent;  and  is  exemplified  at  this  moment  in  some  of  the 
*<  most  illustrious  characters  for  rank  and  learning  in  the 
"  nation.  This  is  a  problem  of  a  very  interesting  charac- 
«  ter  at  this  day,  and  worthy  of  a  distinct  and  ample  discus- 
«  sion,  particularly  at  the  seats  of  learning.  Tlie  jiroblem 
*'  may  be  tbus  expressed  :  *  What  power  is  that,  which  pro- 
"  duces  in  the  minds  of  some  persons  a  real  interest  and 
<^  concern  in  the  welfare  of  their  fellow-creatures;  extend- 
«<  ing  not  only  to  the  comfort  of  their  existence  in  this 
"  world,  but  to  their  felicity  hereafter ;  while  other  men, 
<«  who  are  apparently  in  similar  circumstances  as  to  learn- 
«  ing  and  information,  do  not  feel  inclined  to  move  one  step 
«  for  the  promotion  of  such  objects?'  The  latter,  it  may  be, 
<^  can  speculate  on  the  philosophy  of  the  human  mind,  on  its 
*<  great  powers  and  high  dignity,  on  the  sublime  virtue  of 
<<  universal  benevolence,  on  the  tyranny  of  superstition,  and 
« the  slavery  of  ignorance ;  and  will  sometimes  quote  the 
«  verse  of  the  poet ; 

"  '  Homo  sum  :  humani  nil  a  me  alienum  puto :' 

«  but  they  leave  it  to  others,  and  generally  to  the  Christian 
"  in  humble  life,  to  exercise  the  spirit  of  that  noble  verse. 
*«  This  is  a  very  difficult  problem  ;  and  it  has  been  alleged 
"  by  some,  that  it  cannot  be  solved  on  any  known  principles 
"  of  philosophy.  Tiie  following  relation  will  probably  lead 
<<  to  principles  by  w  hich  we  may  arrive  at  a  solution." 

The  solution  of  the  problem  thus  proposed  is  derived  by 
the  author  from  the  penitent  humiliation  of  the  great  Baby- 
lonian conqueror ;  who,  when  «*  brought  to  himself,"  expres- 
sed the   sinceritv  of  his  conversion  to  the  knowledge  of  tb€^ 


^4}2  MEMOIRS  OF 

true  God,  by  proclaimiug  his  greatness,  asserting  his  glorj'V 
and  inviting  all  nations  to  magnify  him,  and  bow  to  his  do- 
minion*. 

<<  Such  a  proclamation,"  says  Dr.  Buchanan,  <•  to  the  na- 
•*  tions  of  the  earth  was  a  noble  act  of  a  king,  and  ought  to 
**  be  had  in  perpetual  remcnibrancc.  It  reminds  us  of  the 
•<  last  charge  of  Him  •  who  ascended  up  on  high ;'  *  Go, 
"  teach  all  nations.'  It  discovers  to  us  the  new  and  extend- 
*«  ed  benevolence,  greatness  of  mind,  and  pure  and  heavenly 
»*  charity,  which  distinguish  that  man  whose  heart  has  been 
•*  impressed  by  the  grace  of  God.  How  solemn  his  sense  of 
•<  duty  !  How  ardent  to  declare  the  glory  of  his  Saviour  !  His 
**  views  for  the  good  of  men,  how  disinterested  and  enlar- 
**  ged  !  It  is  but  too  evident,  that  all  our  speculations  con- 
*«  cerning  a  Divine  revelation,  and  the  obligation  imposed 
**  on  us  to  study  it  ourselves,  or  to  communicate  it  to  others, 
^•'  are  cold  and  uninteresting,  and  excite  not  to  action,  <  un- 
<*  til,  through  the  tender  compassion  of  God,  the  day-spring 
<«  from  on  high  visit  us,  to  give  light  to  them  that  sit  in 
"  darkness ;'  to  humble  our  hearts  at  the  remembrance  of 
"  our  sins  against  God,  and  to  affect  them  with  a  just  admi- 
''  ration  of  his  pardoning  mercy. 

<*  Let  Great  Britain  imitate  the  example  of  the  Chaldean 
"  king ;  and  send  forth  to  all  the  world  her  *  testimony'  con- 
"  cerning  the  true  God.  She  also  reigns  over  many  nations, 
"  which  <  worship  idols  of  wood  and  stone;'  and  she  ought, 
"  in  like  manner,  to  declare  to  them  <  the  signs  and  wonders 
"  of  the  Almighty.'  And  in  this  design  every  individual 
*«  will  concur,  of  every  church,  family,  and  name,  whose 
"  heart  has  been  penetrated  with  just  apprehensions  of  the 
<'  Most  High  God;  who  have  known  his  judgments,  and  ex- 
*«  perienced  his  mercy." 

The  circulation  of  the  Christian  Researches  was  immense. 
The  first  edition  of  seventeen  hundred  copies  was  soon  ex- 
hausted ;  and  before  the  end  of  the  year  three  others  had 
been  printed.     The  labour,  however,  whicli  their  excellent 

*  DanieJ,  chap,  iv. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  443 

Author  had  underi^one  in  preparinj^  this  interesting  volume 
for  the  press,  probably  led  to  a  painful,  though  apparently 
unimportant  seizure,  wliich  was  evidently  the  prelude  to  one 
of  a  more  serious  nature.  It  is  to  this  illness  that  he  refers 
in  writing  thus  to  a  friend, 

"Kirby  Hall,  19th  Feb.  1811. 

«« I  have  had  an  illness  of  a  peculiar  kind  ;  a  slight  debili- 
<^  tating  stroke,  affecting  the  voice  and  right  hand,  of  the  pa- 
<*  ralytic  kind.  My  hand  is  not  itself  yet,  as  you  may  see  ; 
•*  nor  is  my  voice  perfectly  restored.  The  faculty  ascribe 
"  the  immediate  cause  to  study,  a  sedentary  habit,  and  anx- 
<*  iety  of  mind  on  Mrs.  B's  illness.  But  whatever  the  cause 
"  may  be,  it  is  a  memento  from  the  Lord,  that  this  is  not  my 
"  rest.    Nor  do  I  wish  it  to  be  so. 

#  ^  #  ^  i(  'pi^^j  town  of  Leeds  have  sent  me  an  invitation 
•<  to  succeed  the  late  Mr.  Atkinson,  their  worthy  minister, 
<*  who  died  last  week.  I  have  not  yet  answered  them;  but 
"  my  late  repeated  attacks  of  illness  will  determine  me  to 
"  decline  it.  My  constitution  is  evidently  not  settled  sufti- 
<<  ciently  for  laborious  study.  But  the  Lord  is  my  shepherd. 
«  He  will  lead  me  in  green  pastures,  and  make  darkness 
<*  light  before  me.  The  people  of  Leeds  deserve  a  better 
<^  pastor  than  I  am,  and  the  Lord  will  be  their  shepherd 
*«  also." 

"  26th  March. 

"  I  am  now  well  enough  to  be  able  to  write  a  few  lines.  I 
•*  have  been  gaining  strength  with  tiie  returning  spring ;  for 
"  I  love  the  sun,  and  to  look  at  it  in  this  cold  climate.  It  is 
"  a  fine  object  in  this  evil  world.  But  I  like  the  sun  chiefly, 
*'  as  it  is  an  emblem  of  « the  Sun  of  Righteousness.'  It  gives 
"  light  and  heat.  I  love  your  letters,  for  they  have  light 
<«  and  heat,  reflected  from  the  same  glorious  luminary. 

«*  You  will  be  happy  to  hear  that  Mrs.  L.  has  become  a 
«  most  serious  and  intelligent  Christian.  Her  only  desire  is 
<*  to  live  to  the  glory  of  her  Saviour.  She  weeps  at  the  re- 
«  collection  of  her  obdurate  heart  in  IndJa,  loves  Mr.  Brown, 
*«  and  tlnnks  him  *  a  man  to  be  wondered  at.'    I  mean  to 


-144  MEMOIRS  OF 

•*  send  two  of  her  letters  to  Calcutta,  and  to  ask  whether 
*«  they  can  shew  such  thini^s  in  India  !  Perhaps  they  will 
•*  answer,  <  Yes  we  can  ;  hehold  S .' 

«*  My  love  to  Mrs,  S.  and  the  sufferer.  Surely  she  must 
»«  he  all  pure  j^old  hy  this  time.  The  dross  and  tin,  a  miner 
*«  would  say,  must  now  be  at  the  bottom  of  the  furnace. 

"  I  luive  received  letters  from  India  so  late  as  October. 
•<  Mr.  Martyn  was  expected  in  Calcutta  in  fine  health  and 
*<  spirits,  with  his  Hindostanee  and  Arabic  ti*anslations." 

As  the  spring  advanced,  Dr.  Buchanan's  physicians  hav- 
ing agreed  that  his  complaint  was  chiefly  a  nervous  debility, 
for  the  removal  of  which  cessation  from  study  was  desirable, 
he  formed  a  plan  with  a  view  to  an  object  which  he  had  long 
cherished,  and  which  might,  he  hoped,  prove  beneficial  to 
his  health.  This  was  no  less  an  undertaking  than  a  voyage 
to  Palestine,  with  the  view  of  investigating  subjects  connect- 
ed with  the  translation  of  the  Scriptures,  and  the  extension 
of  Christianity.  We  have  already  noticed  his  proposal  of 
returning  from  India  overland,  for  the  purpose  of  visiting 
the  churches  in  Mesopotamia  and  Syria,  the  names  of  up- 
wards of  one  hundred  of  which  he  had  received  from  the  Sy- 
rian Christians,  and  also  of  inquiring  into  the  present  cir- 
cumstances of  the  Jews  in  those  regions  and  in  Palestine. 
This  was  the  design  to  which  he  was  now  anxious  to  render 
an  intermission  from  sedentary  occupation  subservient.  An- 
other object  of  Dr.  Buchanan's  inquiry  in  his  proposed  visit 
to  the  Holy  Land,  was  to  be  the  state  of  the  Syriac  printing- 
press  of  Mount  Lebanon,  from  which  various  works  have  is- 
sued ;  and  to  ascertain  whether  it  might  be  practicable  to 
establish  presses  in  Jerusalem  or  Aleppo,  for  the  Hebrew, 
Arabic,  and  Syriac  languages  ;  and  to  open  a  correspon- 
dence with  England  for  their  encouragement  and  support. 
He  wished  also  to  learn,  what  language  (with  a  view  to  the 
translation  of  the  Scripture)  is  most  generally  used  at  this 
time  in  the  Holy  Land. 

It  was  Dr.  Buchanan's  intention  to  touch  at  Alexandria, 
in   his  voyage  to  Palestine,  and  to  return  from  his  tour  by 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  445 

Lesser  Asia,  through  the  region  of  the  seven  primitive 
churches.  He  proposed  to  pass  over  from  thence  to  Atliens 
and  Corinth,  to  visit  the  principal  Christian  churches  in 
Greece,  and  afterwards  those  of  the  larger  islands  in  the 
Archipelago.  A  cliief  object  here  was  to  ascertain,  whether 
a  translation  of  the  Scriptures  in  one  dialect  of  modern 
Greek  would  suffice  for  the  continent  of  Achaia  and  the  Ar- 
chipelago, (which  he  did  not  think  to  be  likely,)  or  whether 
some  principal  dialects  had  not  been  already  cultivated. 

In  order  to  give  publicity  to  his  proposed  voyage,  Dr.  Bu- 
chanan transmitted  a  notice  of  the  preceding  particulars  to 
the  Christian  Observera,  adding  a  request,  that  the  queries 
of  the  learned  concerning  the  present  state  of  the  countries 
he  intended  to  visit,  in  connection  with  the  promotion  of 
Christianity,  might  be  communicated  to  him,  and  intimating 
that  he  would  take  charge  of  Bibles  for  distribution  in  his 
way  in  Portugal,  Spain,  and  Malta,  and  would  endeavour  to 
establish  a  channel  of  correspondence  in  those  countries 
with  England,  for  the  supply  of  the  authorized  version  of 
each  country  respectively,  as  far  as  the  existing  govern- 
ments might  be  pleased  to  countenance  the  design. 

Such  was  the  intention  of  Dr.  Buchanan  with  respect  to 
this  distant  and  laborious  undertaking.  Greatly,  however, 
as  we  must  admire  the  ardour  of  his  piety  which  could 
prompt  him  to  form  sucli  a  plan,  it  was,  perhaps,  originally 
of  too  extensive  and  difficult  a  nature  for  the  already  debili- 
tated state  of  his  constitution.  He  seems,  in  some  measure, 
to  have  felt  this  in  announcing  it  to  a  friend,  to  whom  he 
sent  a  notice  of  his  design,  adding,  "  I  cannot  tell  the  pur- 
<*  poses  of  Providence.  Perhaps  I  may  lay  my  bones  in  the 
**  Holy  Land." 

Towards  the  end  of  May,  Dr.  Buchanan  paid  a  short  vi- 
sit to  Buxton  ;  where,  intent  as  usual  on  doing  good,  he  em- 
braced the  opportunity  of  preaching  a  sermon,  the  occasion 
of  which  may  be  explained  in  his  own  words. 

a  For  May  ISU,  p.  321. 


446  MEMOIRS  OF 

^  "Buxton,  SdJunc,  1811. 

*<  Having  had  some  revival  of  spirits  these  three  last  days, 
**  I  was  not  willing  to  allow  the  Day  of  Pentecost  to  pass 
"  without  notice,  particularly  as  the  company  here  were  de- 
«  sirous  that  I  should  preach.  Viewing  them  from  my  win- 
«<  dovv  all  day  drinking  at  the  medicinal  waters,  I  composed 
"  a  discourse  from  John  v.  2,  3,  4%  which  I  delivered  yes- 
**  terday  (Whitsunday)  in  the  great  dining-room  here  ;  Cap- 
"  tain  Payne,  aid-de-camp  to  Lord  Wellington,  who  return- 
«  ed  wounded  from  Busaco,  acting  as  my  clerk.  This  ser- 
"  mon  I  mean  to  publish  immediately,  for  the  benefit  of  the 
**  company  during  the  gay  season.  I  shall  not,  however, 
«  send  it  to  the  press  till  my  return  to  Kirby  Hall,  (whither 
"  we  go  on  the  5th  or  6th  inst.)  for  I  have  no  Concordance 
"  here,  nor  indeed  any  other  book  but  the  Bible." 

The  sermon  thus  hastily  but  benevolently  composed  was 
published  in  the  course  of  the  summer,  under  the  title  of 
"  The  Healing  Waters  of  Bethesda."  It  was,  as  might  be 
expected,  altogether  of  a  practical  nature.  But  though  de- 
void of  that  peculiar  attraction  which  his  preceding  publica- 
tions derived  from  their  connection  with  oriental  objects,  it 
abounded  with  sound  Scriptural  instruction,  and  was  well 
calculated  to  awaken  in  the  minds  of  those  to  whom  it  was 
originally  addressed  a  salutary  train  of  feeling  and  reflec- 
tion, and  to  lead  them  to  associate  with  the  spring  to  which 
they  were  resorting  for  bodily  health,  the  thought  of  tliat 
heavenly  fountain  which  can  alone  purify  and  refresh  the 
soul,  and  strengthen  it  unto  life  everlasting. 

In  the  month  of  June,  Dr.  Buchanan  wrote  to  Colonel 
Sandys  as  follows. 


a  <«  Now  there  is  at  Jerusalem  by  the  sheep-market  a  pool,  which  is  called  in  the 
"  Hebrew  tongue  Bcthesda,  having  five  porches.  In  these  lay  a  great  multitude  of 
"  impotent  folk,  of  blind,  halt,  withered,  waiting  for  the  moving  of  the  water.  For  an 
"  angel  went  down  at  a  certain  season  into  the  i)ool,  and  troubled  the  \t'ater  :  who- 
"  soever  then  first  after  the  troubling  of  the  water  stepped  in  was  made  whole  of 
'*  whatsoever  disease  he  had.'* 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  447 

"Kirby  Hall,  2ithJune,  1811. 

"  I  have  lateJy  returned  from  Buxton,  whither  I  was  sent 
"  to  drink  the  medicinal  waters.  I  have  not  found  much  be- 
"  nefit  from  them  ;  but  we  now  proceed  to  Scarborough,  and 
"  I  doubt  not  I  shall  be  refreshed  by  the  sea  air. 

<*  I  shall  probably  leave  England  in  autumn,  and  be  ab- 
"  sent  about  a  year.  Had  any  important  spiritual  charge 
*«  been  assigned  to  me,  I  should  not  have  thought  of  leaving 
<' England  again;  but  circumstances  at  present  are  very 
"  favourable  to  a  temporary  absence.  I  mean  to  go  down  to 
**  Scotland  in  a  few  weeks  hence  to  take  leave  of  my  mo- 
"  ther,  who  is  in  a  declining  state,  and  does  not  expect  (or 
"  perhaps  hope)  to  pass  through  this  next  winter. 

<*  I  have  a  good  appetite  generally,  and  sleep  well ;  but 
"when  I  speak,  my  spirits  are  easily  hurried;  and  the 
<'  slightest  exercise  fatigues  me. 

*•  I  hope  that  you  and  your  family  continue  well,  and  more 
«^  particularly  that  *  your  soul  prospereth.'  I  make  a  little 
<*  progress  perhaps,  but  it  is  scarcely  sensible.  TVhen  I  stand 
**  on  Calvary,  (if  it  be  given  me  to  see  ii,)  I  hope  my  spirits 
*<  will  be  refreshed,  and  my  affections  enlivened  to  love  and 
«  serve  the  Lord  who  suffered  there — May  I  have  a  single 
"  eye  to  his  glory  !" 

"Scarborough,  20th  July. 

"  The  Bethesda  Sermon  arrived  yesterday.  One  hun- 
<*  dred  copies  have  been  sent  here,  and  sell  rapidly.  I  seldom 
"see  any  Review;  for  I  wish  to  be  hid  from  the  strife  of 
**  tongues. 

**  I  am  willing  to  go  *  through  evil  report'  unto  the  end. 
"  That  is  not  my  cross. 

"  We  set  off  to-morrow  for  Scotland.  I  have  acquired  but 
"  little  strength  at  Scarborough.  The  change  of  air  in  the 
"  North  may  possibly  be  more  beneficial  to  me." 

"  Greenock,  5th  August. 

«  I  have  found  my  mother  in  tolerable  health  of  body,  and 
"  in  high  spiritual  health  at  seventy-five.  She  astonishes 
<«  Mrs.  Buchanan  by  her  eloquence  on  the  prophecies,  which 


448  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  she  utters  in  hard  words,  without  affecting  at  all  the  Eng- 
"  lish  language.  She  can  read  the  Bethesda  without  specta- 
"  cics,  and  Jikes  it  better  than  tlie  Star  in  the  East. 

<*  We  have  seen  and  entertained  almost  all  the  Greenock 
<*  clergy,  and  have  visited  some  of  the  best  religious  families. 
<*  In  a  few  days  we  return  to  Glasgow.  Your  future  commu- 
•<  nications  must  be  addressed  to  Kirby  Hall,  for  I  know  not 
«  where  we  shall  be  in  ten  days  hence. 

*'  I  find  the  sea  air  more  refreshing  here  than  at  Scarbo- 
"  rough.  Somewhere  in  Bute  is  now  reckoned  the  Montpe- 
**  lier  of  Scotland.  It  boasts,  it  seems,  many  recoveries 
"  from  consumptions.  I  consulted  the  Edinburgh  faculty  in 
'*  passing.  Dr.  Gregory  delivered  to  me  five  quarto  pages 
<*  composed  oracularly  on  the  subject  of  my  complaint, 
<<  which  he  seems  to  understand  well.  The  length  of  this 
"  letter  will  intimate  I  am  rather  stronger  than  before." 

**  Glasgow,  18th  September. 

"  I  have  been  favoured  with  your  letter  of  the  10th  inst. 
*«  inclosing  Mr.  H's  Dedication.  He  seems  animated  by  a 
«*  noble  spirit.  I  have  had  a  letter  from  himself,  and  have 
"  recommended  him  to  enlist  under  the  banners  of  the  So- 
«« ciety  for  promoting  Christian  Knowledge,  and  to  think 
«*  nothing  of  the  Syrians,  till  he  have  passed  a  tranquil  year 
*<  in  the  bosom  of  his  family  in  Coromandel.  Thence  he 
<<  may  proceed  where  he  likes.  He  asked  me  what  would 
"  be  his  principal  difficulty.  I  told  him  it  would  be  learning 
*«  Malayalim  (which  is  more  useful  than  the  Syriac)  in  his 
<<  old  age ! 

^*  The  companion  of  my  tour  to  Syria  is  already  engaged ; 
*«  a  Fellow  of  a  college  in  Oxford,  whom  I  met  at  Scarbo- 
"  rough,  the  son  of  a  family  intimate  with  that  at  Kirby 
<«  Hall ;  a  young  man  of  strong  health,  good  learning,  goo9 
"  sense,  and  good  fortune;  of  sound  theology,  and  one  who 
«« is  likely  to  become  an  author. 

<«  As  to  Rothley  Temple,  if  it  be  practicable,  we  shall  visit 
«  it;  but  the  season  advances,  and  we  have  not  got  through 
"  Ireland  yet. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  449 

<»  We  proceed  on  Monday  next  to  Lainshaw,  the  abode  of 
<*  Mr.  Cunningham,  late  of  India,  and  thence,  by  Ayr,  to 
<*  Port  Patrick.  Letters  addressed  to  nie,  at  the  Post  Office, 
<*  Dublin,  will  find  me  till  the  20th  of  October." 

Early  in  November  Dr.  Buchanan  returned  from  his  tour 
to  Kirby  Hall,  from  whence  he  gave  his  friends  a  sketch  of 
that  part  of  it  whicii  has  not  been  yet  mentioned. 

Kirby  Hall,  November  20. ' 

"  We  arrived  at  this  place  about  ten  days  since,  and  found 
«'  all  our  family  well.  We  spent  a  month  in  Ireland,  and 
**  about  a  fortnight  in  Wales.  Mrs.  B.  liked  the  tour  very 
<<  well,  for  we  found  friends  every  where.  I  am  glad  that 
<«  1  have  had  an  opportunity  of  surveying  the  state  of  reli- 
^<  gion  in  Ireland.  I  had  much  intercourse  with  the  mem- 
^«  hers  of  Dublin  college,  and  hope  to  engage  them  in  the 
"  support  of  evangelizing  plans.  They  seem  in  general 
"  animated  by  a  good  spirit. 

*•  1  visited  Maynooth  college,  and  investigated  the  Catho- 
"  lie  question.  I  could  consult  the  best  authorities  on  both 
<*  sides.  My  opinion  is,  that  Maynooth  college  may  be  ex- 
"  tenjled  with  safety.  It  has  already  added  to  the  number  of 
<*  Protestants ;  and  the  Roman  Catholic  bishops  begin  to  be 
«  alarmed  at  the  light  and  knowledge  which  proceed  from 
"  it.  I  saw  Messrs.  C.  and  C,  the  priests  who  have  re- 
<<  canted.  They  preach  in  Dublin;  but  when  I  arrived 
*<  they  had  not  received  any  cure  or  support  from  Church  or 
«  State.  I  expressed  my  astonishment  at  the  delay  and 
^<  marked  indifference  which  seemed  to  pervade  the  Protes- 
<«  tant  church  on  the  subject.  Government  has  now  espoused 
"  the  cause  of  the  young  men,  and  ordained  them  immedi- 
<*  ate  provision  and  a  cure  in  the  church.  They  both  appear 
*<  to  me  to  be  converts  on  conviction. 

"  I  passed  a  day  with  the  Bishop  of  Bangor,  in  my  way 
*<  through  Wales.  We  had  much  conference  on  the  state  of 
*<  religion.  He  is  candid,  and  earnest  to  do  good  in  the 
«  church. 

1  3 


450  MEMOIRS  OF 

<*  The  Scotch  Kirk  have  almost  wholly  ceased  to  read  the 
**  Scriptures  as  a  part  of  divine  service.  I  have  noticed  the 
**  subject  in  the  fourth  edition  of  the  Christian  Researches 
•<  now  printing. 

•*  I  Ijave  proposed  to  the  University  of  Cambridge  to  print 
**  an  edition  of  the  Syriac  Scriptures ;  and  have  offered  a 
<<  considerable  sum  to  commence  ;  but  I  have  not  yet  had 
<*  their  answer.  1  promised  to  send  the  Scriptures  to  the 
•*  Syrian  Christians,  and  am  ashamed  at  the  delay. 

<*  I  have  gained  a  little  strength  by  the  journey,  but  I  am 
"  easily  exhausted." 

In  the  autumn  of  this  year  arrived  Mr.  Martyn's  eloquent 
and  successful  Appeal,  in  a  sermon  at  Calcutta,  on  the  1st  of 
January,  in  behalf  of  nine  hundred  thousand  Christians  in 
India,  who  were  in  want  of  the  Bible;  together  with  the 
gratifying  intelligence  of  the  formation  of  an  Auxiliary  Bi- 
ble Society  at  that  Presidency,  at  the  head  of  which  appear- 
ed some  of  the  chief  members  of  the  supreme  government. 
The  letters  which  announced  this  auspicious  event  brought 
information  also  of  the  revival  of  the  college  of  Fort  Wil- 
liam as  a  fountain  of  Scriptural  translation,  and  a  communi- 
cation from  Mr.  Brown  to  Dr.  Buchanan  ;  the  following  ex- 
tract from  which,  considering  the  circumstances  of  his  de- 
parture from  Calcutta,  could  not  but  afford  him  the  liveliest 
satisfaction, 

"Pagoda,  Serampore,  5th  March,   1811. 

•*  You  are  truly  the  root  of  our  Bible  Society.  I  have  had 
♦<  long  and  full  discussions  with  Lord  Minto  on  all  subjects 
<<  of  religion,  missions.  Scriptures,  &c. ;  and  he  is  \ery  de- 
«  sirous  to  tread  back  his  steps,  and  to  atone  for  the  mistake 
«  which  he  made  at  the  beginning  of  his  government. 

«  Your  letter  prepared  the  way  for  this  reflux  of  senti- 
**  ment.  Neither  that,  nor  the  Chinese,  nor  any  part  of 
«  your  labours,  has  fallen  to  the  ground.  Therefore  go  for- 
«  ward;  and  obtain  the  crown  of  righteousness  which  is  be- 
"  fore  you.'* 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  451 

On  the  6th  oC  December,  Dr.  Buchanan  wrote  to  his 
friend  Mr.  Macaulay  respecting  new  editions  of  his  publi- 
cations; desiring  it  to  be  observed  in  the  dedication  of  his 
Memoir  to  the  present  Archbishop,  that  altiiough  he  had 
♦<  deemed  it  right  to  make  a  few  verbal  alterations,  he  had 
"  seen  no  cause  to  change  any  one  material  sentiment  of  the 
**  work."  In  the  same  letter  he  intimated  his  intention  of 
proceeding  on  liis  pi'oposed  voyage  early  in  the  month  of 
February  following.  A  few  days,  however,  only  had  elap- 
sed before  a  second  and  more  alarming  attack  suspended, 
and  ultimately  dissipated,  all  thoughts  of  accomplishing  that 
extensive  and  interesting  undertaking.  His  letter  upon  this 
trying  occasion  exhibits  his  cliaracteristic  piety  and  submis- 
sion, and  is  as  follows. 

"  Kiiby  Hall,  17th  December,  1811. 

•'  My  dear  Sir, 

••  I  must  use  the  hand  of  another  to  inform  you,  that  I 
'♦  was  visited  last  Aveek  by  an  illness  of  the  same  nature  with 
•<  that  in  the  beginning  of  the  year.  I  have  had  a  second 
*•  paralytic  stroke,  affecting  the  half  of  my  head  and  body, 
•<  and  forming  a  complete  hemiplegia.  My  voice  is  not  much 
•<  affected,  and  the  numbness  is  slight.  But  yet  I  consider 
"  that  this  may  be  a  precursor  of  a  third  and  last  call  to 
*<  quit  my  earthly  mansion.  I  view  it,  therefore,  as  a  most 
"  merciful  dispensation,  and  hope  I  shall  ever  retain  my  pre- 
•<  sent  thankful  sense  of  the  Lord's  gracious  mode  of  bidding 
••'  me  prepare  for  my  journey,  and  of  calling  me  gradually  to 
•«  himself.  \Yhether  this  event  will  hasten  me  to  a  warmer 
"  climate,  or  whether  I  shall  wait  the  Lord's  will  at  home,  1 
•<  have  not  yet  determined. 

"  I  had  just  finished  the  revision  of  my  sermons  when  1 
•«  was  attacked ;  and  I  suppose  they  are  now  in  the  hands  of 
•*  the  printers.     If  you  should  recollect  any  think  faulty  in 
*<  them,  I  hope  you  will  send  for  the  proof  sheets. 
«*  I  remain,  my  dear  Sir, 

t  *<  Very  sincerely  yours, 

«*  C  Buchanan.'' 


l^rjie  MEMOIRS  OF 

On  the  2d  of  January  1812,  Dr.  Buclianan  had  recovered 
sufficiently  from  his  late  attack  to  resume  with  a  faint  and 
trembling  hand  his  correspondence  with  his  friends. 

*^  My  hand  is  recovering  from  the  paralysis,  and  I  can 
♦<  just  hold  the  pen  to  inform  you,  that  scarcely  any  thing 
*«  remains  of  my  indisposition  but  extreme  weakness.  The 
*<  faculty  think  they  have  at  last  discovered  the  source  of 
^«  my  complaints,  and  have  taken  away  about  five  pounds  of 
**  blood.  This  has  afforded  a  most  sensible  relief  to  my 
•<  breathing,  and  has  given  rest  during  sleep,  which  before 
"  r  had  not.  In  addition,  they  have  lowered  and  attenuated 
<<  the  body  during  the  last  month ;  so  tliat  all  tilings  are  new. 
**  If  when  the  body  is  thus  regenerated,  the  soul  could  also 
<<  be  renewed,  it  would  be  a  salutary  illness.  1  can  indeed 
**  say,  and  with  great  thankfulness,  that  my  soul  has  had 
"  more  spiritual  communion  with  God  than  formerly.  It 
**  would  be  a  blessed  thing  were  it  always  to  remain  as  it 
^^  has  been. 

*<  I  wondered  at  the  peace  I  felt  in  the  prospect  of  depart- 
•'<  ing  this  life.  It  was  perhaps  greater  than  it  will  be  when 
"  tbe  time  comes.  '  Whoso  endureth  unto  the  end  shall  be 
"  saved.' 

«  Yesterday  Cadell  published  the  second  edition  of  my 
<*  Memoir  in  octavo.  Two  editions  of  it  were  printed  in 
<<  America  this  last  year.  On  the  1st  of  February  I  hope 
*«  alj  my  sermons  revised  will  be  published  in  one  volume. 

"  The  University  of  (Cambridge  has  done  valorously,  as 
^<  you  have  seen.  What  fine  youths  these  will  be  to  preach 
•^  to  the  people  when  you  and  I  have  winged  our  flight !" 

Notwithstanding  the  severe  shock  whicli  the  constitution 
of  Dr.  Buchanan  had  received  by  his  late  paralytic.seizure, 
the  powers  of  his  mind  were  evidently  unimpaired,  and 
amidst  great  debility  and  languor,  he  retained  all  his  ardour 
in  promoting  tlie  cause  of  Christianity  in  the  world.  This 
was  very  shortly  evinced  by  the  following  communication  to 
a  friend,  vyho  had  apprized  him  of  an  incorrect  and  injuri- 
ous statement,  wl)ich.  on  the  authority  of  the  Danisli  mis- 
sionaries in    India,  had  been  inserted  in  tiic  Report  of  tlic 


/v.'' 


DR.  BUCHAN4N.  453 

Society  for  promotinj^  Clnistian  Kiiovvledj^e  for  tlic  voar 
1811,  respectin.e:  the  Syrian  Christians  in  Travancore.  IMin 
substance  of  this  communication  was  afterwards  introduced 
into  an  able  article  in  the  Christian  Observer*,  forming  a 
most  satisfactory  vindication  of  that  interesting  body  of 
Christians.  The  original  observations,  however,  of  Dv,  Bu- 
chanan may  still  be  acceptable  to  those  who  may  retain  any 
doubts  upon  the  subject  to  which  they  relate. 

"KirbyHall,  18th  Jaimrin,   ISt-J.   ■ 

"  All  my  books  and  MSS.  concerning  the  Syrian  Christ- 
*«  ians  I  deposited  in  the  University  Library,  Cambridge; 
«*  but  I  shall  desire  Mr.  Yeates  to  look  over  the  Liturgy  of 
**  the  Syrians,  and  if  he  can  find  the  passage  in  which  they 
<•  abjure  the  errors  of  the  Nestorians,  to  send  it  to  you. 
«<  When  I  passed  through  the  Danish  missionaries  on  the 
"  coast  of  Coromandel,  on  my  way  to  Malabar,  they  told  me 
"  the  same  things  concerning  the  Syrians,  which  they  have 
<*  now  stated  to  the  Society  ;  but  when  I  arrived  in  Malaya- 
<<  la,  1  found  they  knew  no  more  of  the  Syrian  Christians  in 
"  that  region,  than  people  in  England  know  of  the  Syrian 
^«  Christians  in  Cyprus.  I  suppose  the  missionaries  have 
*'  written  thus  by  way  of  offering  some  apology  for  not  advi- 
'<  sing  the  Society  to  assist  tlie  Syrian  Christians. 

<^  In  regard  to  an  official  union,  it  is  scarcely  practicable 
*•  in  present  circumstances,  and  need  not  be  thought  of ;  but 
'« there  is  nothing  to  prevent  a  friendly  connection,  or,  as 
"  the  Bishop  expressed  it,  <  such  a  connection  as  should  ap- 
"  pear  to  both  Churches  practicable  and  expedient.'  The 
<*  Romish  church  long  solicited  such  an  union,  but  could  not 
"  attain  it ;  nor  did  they  regard  their  formerly  having  had 
"  (if  indeed  they  ever  had)  Nestorian  bishops,  provided  they 
'«  would  now  qualify  their  system  a  little.  They  might  even 
^<  say  mass  in  another  tongue  than  Latin.  But  the  mission- 
"  aries  cannot  yield  so  much  as  this  ! 

<«  The  truth  concerning  the  Syrians  will  be  found,  I  allege, 
*•  in  my  more  full  account  of  them,  published  by  tlie  Bishop 
"  of  London^     <  Their  Liturgy  is  derived  from  that  of  the 

»  Vol.  xi.  p.  105. 

b  In  1807.    See  the  Christian  Ohserver  for  Uiat  vpar. 


454  MEMOIRS  OF 

•*  early  church  of  Antioch,  called  Liturgia  Jacobi  ^postolL 
<«  They  are  usually  denominated  Jacofti^ce;  but  they  differ 
"in  ceremonial  from  the  church  of  that  name  in  Syria,  and 
•*  indeed  from  any  existing  church  in  the  world.' 

*<  That  they  worship  the  Virgin  Mary  is  a  flagrant  error 
"  of  speech.  The  practice  might  as  well  be  charged  on  the 
<<  Church  of  England^. 

»<  In  regard  to  their  morals,  learning,  and  civil  state,  I 
•*  have  merely  recounted  the  conversations  I  had  with  their 
**  most  learned  members,  and  noticed  that  <  I  perceived  all 
*«  around  symptoms  of  poverty  and  political  depression  :' 
<*  that  they  were  in  a  degenerate  state,  yet  *  like  a  people 
•*  who  had  known  better  days.'  I  also  notice,  that  «  they 
"  have  some  ceremonies  nearly  allied  to  those  of  the  Greek 
"  Church  ;'  and  I  intimated  to  the  Bishop,  *  that  there  were 
**  some  rites  and  practices  in  the  Syrian  Church,  which  our 
«  Church  might  consider  objectionable  or  nugatory.'  If  I 
<^  have  not  filled  my  page  with  these  particulars,  it  was  be- 
"  cause  I   had   no  pleasure  in  describing  them.    Finding  a 

A  very  different  statement  respecting  the  Syrian  Christians  has  been 
lately  published  in  a  letter  from  the  Abb^  Dubois,  a  Romish  missionary  in 
Mysore,  inserted  in  the  second  Report  of  the  Bombay  Auxiliary  Bible  Soci- 
ety. The  respectability  of  the  quarter  from  which  this  document  has  pro- 
ceeded may  naturally  seem  to  claim  for  it  a  considerable  degree  of  credit. 
But  whatever  may  be  its  value,  as  to  points  within  the  writer's  own  know- 
ledge, it  is  undoubtedly  erroneous  as  to  the  Syrian  Christians.  Nor  can  this 
be  a  matter  of  surprise  when  it  is  considered,  that  all  his  information  concern^ 
ing  them  is  confessedly  derived  from  other  persons,  who  may  very  probably, 
like  himself,  have  never  visited  them,  and  be  members  of  a  church  whose 
tyranny  and  oppression  the  Syrian  Christians  in  Travancore  have  for  ages 
nobly  resisted.  "  This  sect,"  observes  the  Abbe,  "  still  obstinately  adheres 
"to  the  religious  tenets  held  by  the  heresiarch  Nestorius."  It  is,  however, 
somewhat  extraordinary,  that  the  late  venerable  metropolitan  of  the  Syrian 
church,  in  an  official  communication  to  General  Macaulay,  then  Resident  at 
the  court  of  Travancore,  distinctly  disclaimed  the  errors  of  Nestorius,  as 
well  as  those  of  other  heretics  ;  and  that  Dr.  Buchanan  and  Dr.  Kerr  agree  in 
representing  their  creed  as  not  materially  differing  from  that  of  our  own 
Church.  It  may  be  added,  that  their  account  of  them  is  substantially  the 
same  as  that  of  La  Croze,  Assemannus,  and  Mosheim.  For  farther  informa- 
tion upon  this  subject,  the  reader  is  referred  to  Dr.  Buchanan's  Christian  Re- 
searches, and  to  the  Christian  Observer  for  December  1816. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  4:^5 

•*  Church  in  their  peculiar  situation,  possessing  tlie  BibK-. 
"  and  abjuring  the  Romish  corruptions,  what  more  was  re- 
<«  quired  to  make  them  an  useful  people  in  evangelizing  that 
*<  dark  region  ?  And  it  is  not  decorous  in  the  Church  of  Eng- 
'^  land  to  seem  to  take  pleasure  in  iiolding  up  to  a  kind  of 
^«  opprobrium  an  ancient  people,  found  in  such  interesting 
<*  circumstances  ;  possessing  too  an  ordination,  w  ith  which 
<^  ours  is  scarcely  to  be  compared.  A  former  President  of 
*<  the  Bartlett's  Buildings  Society,  (Archbishop  Wake,)  ne- 
"  gotiated  for  an  union  with  Rome  itself! 

*«  As  to  the  moral  and  civil  state  of  the  Syrians,  Dr.  Kerr 
<*  has  given  them  a  higher  character  than  I  have,  in  his  oflB- 
"  cial  docuinent  to  the  Madras  government,  which  on  this 
««  subject  may  now  be  quoted  as  a  proper  authority.  All  that 
"  he  has  said  also  concerning  the  facility  and  expediency  of 
<«  an  union,  may  now  be  pressed  with  much  advantage ;  for 
<<  Dr.  K.  was  sent  from  the  very  place  where  the  Danish 
"  missionaries  dwell,  to  obtain  information  for  government. 

"  But  on  this  subject,  Colonel  Macaulay  is  the  highest 
<*  authority  in  the  world.  If  he  will  address  the  society  in 
"  a  respectful,  conciliating  manner,  and  urge  the  incontro- 
*«  vertible  facts  founded  on  his  own  knowledge  and  Dr. 
"  Kerr's  official  report,  it  will  have  immense  effect. 

''He  may  observe  that  an  union  is  not  to  be  thought  of  at 
"  present,  on  account  of  political  considerations ;  but  that 
"  such  an  interesting  people  deserve  our  countenance  and 
*«  every  aid  for  mental  improvement,  by  assisting  them  in 
"  the  translation  of  the  Scriptures,  and  encouraging  them  to 
«'  hold  out  against  the  Romish  Church.  They  are  also  pro- 
"  per  subjects  of  occasional  pecuniary  assistance  :  for  the  op- 
"  pression  of  the  Hindoo  government  has  of  late  been  very 
«  great :  but  for  the  future  they  will,  perhaps,  be  able  to  re- 
«  tain  what  they  acquire. 

« It  would  be  proper  that  Colonel  Macaulay  should  men- 
«  tion  his  own  political  transactions  with  the  Tf  avancore  and 
"  the  English  governments  on  their  behalf,  and  on  behalf  of 
«  the  Romish-Syrians.    For  they  also  want  the  Bible. 


456  MEMOIRS  OF 

**  My  hand,  you  see,  is  a  little  better;  but  I  ain  by  no 
•*  means  strong.  I  can  only  sit  up  haif  an  hour  at  a 
*<  time." 

It  is  surely  to  be  lamented,  that  no  application  was  made 
on  the  part  of  the  society  to  the  two  persons  best  qualified 
to  afford  information  upon  this  subject,  Dr.  Buchanan  and 
General  Macaulay ;  and  that  no  steps  appear  to  have  been 
taken  to  communicate  that  encouraj^ement  and  support, 
which  the  Church  of  England  is  plainly  bound  to  extend  to 
a  community  of  Christians  thus  brought  into  such  immedi- 
ate contact  with  the  British  government. 

In  the  mean  time,  Dr.  Buchanan  continued  his  own  ex- 
ertions with  a  view  to  supply  the  Syrian  Christians  with  a 
translation  of  the  Scriptures.  Thus  he  wrote  in  February 
and  March  to  Mr.  Macaulay. 

"  I  enclose  a  letter,  which  I  wish  to  go  by  this  tieet.  It  is 
<'  to  give  money  to  Timapah  Pulle,  who  superintends  the 
"  Malayalim  version  at  Bombay. 

"  I  have  received  a  copy  of  the  second  edition  of  the  Me- 
<*  moir,  and  immediately  discovered  improvements.  Many 
<*  thanks  to  you  for  this  service.  And  yet  I  have  little  satis- 
"  faction  in  looking  at  the  book.  I  wish  now  to  flee  away  to 
"  regions  of  peace  with  the  wings  of  a  dove — and  be  at 
<^  rest." 

"  Kiiby  Hall,  7th  March. 

•<  The  day  after  I  wrote  to  you  last,  I  was  obliged  to  leave 
"  the  writing  table  entirely,  and  have  not  resumed  it  since. 
*«  The  sensation  of  paralysis  is  but  slight,  but  it  appears  to 
'*  be  now  permanent ;  at  least  during  the  cold  season. 

"  26tli  March. 

*'  La  Croze  and  Geddes  are  the  principal  authors  for 
•< 's  purpose,  and  1  have  neither. 

*<  Gouvea,  and  Bartolomeo's  India  Christiana,  and  other 
*<  curious  works,  I  deposited,  together  with  the  MSS.  at 
"  Cambridge. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  457 

«  If  you  couM  call  on  Mr.  Yeates,  lie  could  possibly  fur- 
«  iiish  you  with  La  Croze,  or  Simon,  or  Assemannus.     It  is 

«  a  fine  subject  for 's  contemplatiojh   and  one  which 

«  would  greatly  interest  the  public  mind.  A  few  pages  only, 
«  however,  will  suffice  for  the  society.  But  after  he  has 
*<  done  that,  he  may  possibly  meditate  a  lare:er  work.  These 
"  are  times  when  every  thing  a  man  has,  which  may  he  in 
*<  any  way  for  tlie  advantage  of  Christianity,  ought  to  be 
^<  given  to  the  world.  For  we  shall  soon  die,  and  tlien  shall 
«  *  all  our  thoughts  perish.' 

«  Mr.  Yeates  writes  thus  in  a  late  letter.  <  Simon,  in  his 
«<  Critical  History  of  the  Religion  and  Customs  of  the  East- 
*«  ern  Nations,  has  ably  vindicated  the  Syrian  (christians 
<f  against  the  Catholics,  and  exposed  their  rage  and  perse- 
«  cution  as  the  result  of  papal  tyranny.  I  have  read  so 
"  much  in  Assemannus  and  other  authors,  as  to  know  that 
«  the  Syrian  Christians  are  the  Protestants  of  the  East. 
^«The  Church  of  England,  as  a  National  Church,  cannot 
"  extend  her  assistance  to  greater  advantage,  than  in  res- 
<«  toring  and  building  up  the  ruins  of  the  Syrian  communion 
"  in  Antioch,  Mesopotamia,  and  India,  by  the  immediate 
^«  dispersion  of  copies  of  the  Scriptures.  And  when  this  is 
"  done,  they  will  supply  missionaries  for  the  extension  of 
fi  the  Christian  faith  among  the  Mahomedans  and  Pagans.' 
"  I  rejoice  to  hear  that  <  Ethiopia  does  not  stretch  out  her 
<<  hands'  in  vain.  This  will  be  a  great  accession  of  fame  to 
«<  the  Bible  Society.  The  University  will  not  lend  out 
«  my  Ethiopic  Gospel.  You  must  send  a  person  to  tran- 
«« scribe  it  in  the  public  library.  If  you  should  find  any 
"  difficulty  in  the  access,  I  will  give  you  a  note  to  the  Vice- 
«<  Chancellor." 

The  next  subject  to  which  the  attention  of  Dr.  Buchanan 
was  directed  was  that  to  which  he  had  devoted  his  Memoir, 
and  which  he  had  ever  considered  as  of  primary  and  funda- 
mental importance.  This  was  the  organization  af  a  more 
extensive  Ecclesiastical  Establishment  for  British   India. 

M  3 


458  MEMOIRS  OF 

The  time  was  now  approaching  for  the  renewal  of  the 
Charter  of  the  East  India  Company  ;  and  the  friends  of  re- 
ligion were  anxious  to  improve  this  opportunity  of  pressing 
the  consideration  of  the  measure  in  question  upon  the  at- 
tention of  government  and  of  the  legislature.  It  was  evi- 
dent that  no  man  was  better  qualified  to  suggest  the  best 
method  of  proceeding  upon  this  occasion  than  Dr.  Buchanan. 
Some  distinguished  persons,  who  took  a  lively  interest  in 
this  weighty  subject,  accordingly  applied  to  him  to  prepare 
a  sketch  of  what  he  might  deem  advisable  with  respect  to 
the  proposed  Establishment,  for  the  purpose  of  submitting 
it  to  the  consideration  of  his  Majesty's  ministers,  and  of 
others  particularly  concerned  in  the  determination  of  this 
question. 

It  was  with  this  important  point  that  the  correspondence 
of  Dr.  Buchanan  was  occupied  during  the  spring  and  sum- 
mer of  tliis  year.  The  following  extracts  from  his  letters 
to  Mr.  Macaulay  will  exhibit  not  only  his  zeal,  but  his  piety 
and  judgment  respecting  the  accomplishment  of  the  great 
measure  which  he  had  so  long  advocated. 

««  Kirby  Hall,  March  1 812. 

<*  India  has  scarcely  crossed  my  mind  since  I  wrote  to 
^f  you  last ;  I  mean  in  regard  to  legislative  measures.  I 
"do  not  expect  to  be  able  to  do  any  thing  till  the  warm 
"  weather  approach.  Mr.  Wilberforce  writes  to  me,  that 
"the  Anglo-Indians  question  the  fact  of  the  burning  of  wo- 
"men  stated  in  my  Memoir;  and  I  read  in  the  British  Re- 
"  view,  that  they  doubt  that  of  the  self-devotement  of  a  man 
"  at  Ishera,  stated  in  my  Researches  under  the  article 
"  <  Juggernaut  in  Bengal.'  I  shall  pen  two  sentences  below 
"  on  each  of  these  subjects,  which  you  may  use  as  occasion 
"  may  serve. 

"  Short  as  the  above  letter  is,  I  have  been  nearly  two  days 
"  in  writing  it ;  and  I  do  not  now  find  myself  able  to  finish 
"  my  two  sentences.  I  hope  to  recruit  in  a  day  or  two^ 
"  when  I  shall  send  them." 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  4i59 

The  two  sentences  tlius  meditated,  branched  out  into  two 
sheets;  the  substance  of  which  afterwards  appeared  in  the 
Christian  Observer.* 

Dr.  Buchanan's  next  letter  is  as  follows, 

*'Kirby  Hall,  13th  April,  1812 

<«  My  dear  Sir, 
"  I  send  to  you  and  Mr.  Wilberforce  by  this  day's  mail 
«^a  Prospectus  of  an  Ecclesiastical  Establishment  for  India. 
<^  I  will  thank  you  to  submit  it  to  Mr.  Grant  and  Lord 
"  Teignmouth;  and  I  shall  be  obliged  to  them  to  make  such 
"  alterations  in  it  as  they  shall  think  proper.  If  they  sug- 
^«  gest  any  thing  which  you  and  Mr.  W.  approve,  be  pleased 
•«  to  incorporate  it,  and  to  revise  the  whole  according  to 
•<  your  judgment. 

«<  I  then  wish  you  to  send  one  copy  to  Mr.  Perceval,  and 
<*  another  to  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury. 

"  When  you  are  ready  let  me  know,  and  I  will  send  a 
"  note  to  accompany  each  copy.  From  Mr.  Perceval  I  have 
<«  lately  received  a  very  kind  letter,  in  which  he  professes 
»•  to  have  <  a  respect  for  my  character  and  exertions.' 

«  If  after  you  have  sent  in  the  copies,  you  should  tliink 
^*  that  any  part  of  the  Prospectus  might  be  useful  to  Parlia- 
**  ment,  you  may  publish  it  in  such  form,  and  with  such  ad- 
*«  dition  as  you  please,  with  my  name  or  without  it. 

<^  I  am  much  obliged  to  you  for  offering  to  do  me  service, 
<*  if  I  can  move  southward  ;  but  now  that  you  have  the  Pro- 
•'  spectus,  you  will  not  want  me.  I  certainly  should  not 
•<  have  written  it,  if  you  had  not  pressed  the  subject.  I  can 
*<  scarcely  at  present  walk  down  stairs  without  help.  As 
«  soon  as  the  season  opens  a  little,  I  proi)ose  to  go  to  Scar- 

»  For  April  1812.  In  this  paper  it  is  sfatcJ,  that  the  calculation  in  question  as  to 
the  number  of  women  burned  in  the  vicinity  of  Calcutta  during  a  given  period,  was 
inserted  in  Dr.  Buchanan's  Memoir  on  the  authority  of  an  official  r*-;  ort  to  the 
College  of  Fort  William,  when  the  officers  of  that  institution  were  collecting  infor- 
mation to  serve  as  an  authentic  record  upon  the  subject  of  this  female  sacrijice. 
The  truth  of  the  fact  respecting  the  self-devotement  at  Ishera  was  declared  to  rest 
upon  the  authority  of  the  late  Rev.  D.  Brown,  whose  country-house  was  near  thf 
spot  referred  to. 


460  MEMOIRS  OF 

*♦  borough  for  the  benefit  of  the  warm  batlis  at  that  place. 
"  I  a'ln  now  seeking  the  comfort  of  the  holy  Scriptures,  and 
"  their  promises ;  and  love  to  contemplate  Augustine  and 
*«  Luther.  I  look  forward  to  nothing  in  this  life  but  these 
« two  things,  repentance,  with  bitter  tears  for  past  sins ; 
"  and  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost.  These  two  blessings  I  am  en- 
*«  couraged  to  look  for,  for  they  are  promised  to  sinners ; 
<«  they  are  « the  gifts  to  the  rebellious.'  In  the  mean  time 
**  I  pray  to  do  the  will  of  God,  and  to  use  my  voice,  my  pen, 
*<  or  my  feet,  as  he  wishes  me,  while  these  members  have 
*«  any  strength  for  his  service. 

"  My  dear  Sir, 

^<  Very  sincerely  yours, 
"  C.  Buchanan." 
♦«  Z,  Macaulay,  Esq,'' 

The  Sketch  of  an  Ecclesiastical  Establishment,  mention- 
ed in  the  preceding  letter,  was  not  only  transmitted  to  his 
Majesty's  ministers,  and  to  other  distinguished  individuals, 
but  communicated  to  the  East  India  Mission  Committee 
of  the  Society  for  promoting  Christian  Knowledge,  through 
Mr.  Wilberforce,  on  the  1st  of  June.  It  was  received  by 
them  with  expressions  of  approbation,  and  of  entire  concur- 
rence in  the  views  of  its  author;  and  an  abstract  of  it 
having  been  reported  by  that  Committee  to  a  general 
meeting  of  the  Society,  held  on  the  23d  of  that  month,  a 
series  of  important  resolutions,  in  support  of  the  measure 
thus  proposed,  as  well  as  in  favour  of  the  general  duty  of 
promoting  Christianity  amongst  our  Indian  fellow-subjects, 
European  and  native,  were  moved  and  adopted. 

The  following  passage  from  a  letter  to  a  friend,  who  had 
suggested  an  alteration  in  a  part  of  his  «  Sketch,"  will  shew, 
amongst  other  instances  of  a  similar  nature,  how  far  Dr. 
Buchanaji  was  from  an  unbending  or  disputatious  temper. 

<<  I  am  just  favoured  with  your  letter,  and  am  greatly 
*»  obliged  to  you  for  writing  it.  I  consent  to  the  section 
•*  being  omitted,  and  to  the  word  «  colonization'  not  appear- 
'*  ing  in  the  whole  book. 


DU.  BUCHANAN.  461 

<«  I  am  only  anxious  that  the  cause  of  God  should  have 
<<  due  honour,  and  that  <  exclusion  of  Christian  teachers  in 
<<  Asia'  should  be  plainly  represented  as  repugnant  to  God's 
«  will  and  revealed  word.  These  are  days  of  great  mea- 
<*  sures.  When  we  stand  upon  the  Rock,  we  need  not  fear 
*<  the  conflicting  currents  of  public  opinion.  But  it  is  right 
"to  avoid  obnoxious  terms  if  we  can  ;  and  if  an  object  is 
«  likely  to  be  attained  without  fighting  for  it,  it  is  best." 

Dr.  Buchanan  was,  however,  at  this  time  by  no  means 
sanguine  as  to  the  success  of  the  proposed  Establishment, 
though  he  rejoiced  in  the  progress  of  Christianity  in  other 
quarters.  The  following  is  from  a  letter  to  Colonel  Sandys 
in  April. 

"  I  had  very  little  pleasure  in  writing  further  on  the  sub- 
«ject;  but  as  I  had  given  a  beginning,  I  thought  I  would 
«  give  the  end.  It  is  not  probable  that  any  thing  of  impor- 
"  tance  will  be  done.  We  ought  to  be  satisfied  with  the 
«  great  doings  of  the  present  day.  Indeed  the  Bible  Soci- 
"  ety's  triumphs  have  been  so  great  of  late,  that  it  is  time 
« (according  to  the  usual  dispensations  in  relation  to  the 
«  Gospel)  we  should  look  for  a  check,  to  humble  us  a  little, 
"  and  keep  us  in  our  proper  place. 

"  Since  my  return  from  Ireland,  I  have  been  much  enga- 
«  ged  with  correspondence  from  that  kingdom.  There  is  a 
^«  fine  evangelical  spirit,  even  amongst  the  nobility.  I  had 
«  urged  Trinity  College,  Dublin,  to  organize  a  Bible  Society. 
"  The  students  were  for  it ;  the  elder  members  against  it. 
«  Matters,  at  this  moment,  are  very  interesting.  The  Irish 
"  want  the  Bible  almost  as  much  as  the  Hindoos. 

*«  My  affectionate  remembrance  to  Mrs.  S.  and  Miss  J., 
"  not  forgetting  Claudius,  (look  into  Milner's  History,  for 
•'<  the  life  of  Claudius,  of  Turin.  I  have  just  discovered  in 
*•  a  volume  of  Archbishop  Usher's,  that  there  is  a  manu- 
"  script  Commentary  on  St.  Matthew  in  the  library  of  Pem- 
«^  broke  Hall,  Cambridge,  by  this  very  Claudius:  a  fact 
«*  which  Mr,  Milner  does  not  seem  to  have  known)  who,  for 
•<  the  reason  stated  in  the  parenthesis,  must  go  to  Pembroke 
•«  Hall,  as  a  student  of  divinity.     My  namesakes  must  not 


46S  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  go  about  withjiint  and  steel.  There  is  a  higher  warfare  for 
**  them  ;  in  which  I  hope  you  are  all  fighting,  and  are  more 
^«  than  conquerors  through  Him  who  hath  loved  us. 

«  I  am,  affectionately  yours, 

<*  C.  Buchanan.'' 

The  beginning  of  the  following  month  was  marked  by  the 
appearance  of  some  symptoms  favourable  to  the  intended 
measure  respecting  India,  but  clouded  by  the  melancholy 
intelligence  of  the  assassination  of  Mr.  Perceval.  Dr.  Bu- 
chanan's observations  on  that  lamentable  event  will  be  read 
with  interest. 

"  Kirby  Hall,  15th  May,  1812. 

"  I  had  a  note  from  Lord  Buckinghamshire  thanking  me 
^«  for  the  Prospectus,  and  acknowledging  its  importance ; 
"  concluding  with-^«  You  may  be  assured,  that  it  will  re- 
"  ceive  from  me  all  the  attention  to  which  it  is  entitled.' 
«*  Another  note  from  Mr.  Perceval  to  the  same  effect. 
<*  Happy  Perceval !  if  he  have  died  in  the  faith,  as  I  have 
"  long  believed  he  lived.  In  my  last  letter  to  him  (about  a 
**  month  ago)  there  is  the  following  sentence.  <  One  thing 
•«  is  certain,'  (I  had  been  alluding  to  his  difficulties,  and  the 
"  state  of  public  affairs,)  *  and  it  must  be  a  subject  of  per- 
"  manent  comfort  to  your  own  mind,  that  however  tlie 
•'<  course  of  affairs  may  lead  you  in  future  life,  good  has 
<^  already  been  done  under  your  administration,  which  can- 
<^  not  be  undone  ;  and  even  if  life  itself  should  not  be  long 
«« vouchsafed,  you  wouW  depart  with  the  consciousness,' 
<*  &c.  &c. 

**  I  have  been  trying  to  move  the  general  assembly  to  no- 
»« tice  the  extension  of  religion  in  India.  I  have  also  urged 
«  Cambridge  to  petition  Parliament  on  the  subject.  If  an 
^<  University,  which  has  permitted  its  members  to  pour- 
•«  tray  so  often  the  blessing  of  giving  Christianity  to  India, 
«  should  hesitate  to  recommend  the  measure,  who  can  be 
*•'  expected  to  support  it  ? 

"  I  continue  in  an  equable  state  of  healtli.  I  can  walk 
»^  for  about  ten  minutes  at  a  time,  but  my  weakness  is  very 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  463 

*«  great,  particularly  in  my  limbs,  which  start  and  throb 
*«  very  much  in  bed,  sometimes  during  the  whole  night. 
<^  Last  night  an  experiment  was  made  of  applying  leeches 
<<  to  one  foot.  The  consequence  was,  the  throbbing  ceased 
<«  in  that  foot,  and  was  more  severe  in  the  other. 

"  I  am  happy   to  hear  that     ■     is  better,  and  with 

"  you.  He  may  probably  be  offered  a  command  in  Asia, 
<«  in  the  course  of  a  year  or  two.  In  the  mean  while,  time 
<*  flies,  assassins  fire  shots,  and  we  hear  the  voice,  *  Be  ye 
*«  also  ready.'  I  doubt  not  but  tlie  death  of  Mr.  Peiceval 
^<  will  give  life  to  the  religion  of  many  a  man  in  England. 
<*  Some  men  will  feel  it  as  sensibly  as  if  he  had  been  a  mem- 
"  ber  of  their  own  family." 

In  the  month  of  June  Dr.  Buchanan  proceeded  to  Scarbo- 
rough, from  whence  he  proposed  a  visit  to  tlie  Bishop  of 
Durham,  and  then  to  the  Bishop  of  Llandaff,  and  the  lakes 
of  Westmoreland.  This  latter  plan,  however,  he  was  com- 
pelled to  relinquish,  on  finding  that  the  exercise  of  a  carriage 
was  as  yet  too  much  for  him.  From  Scarborough  he  wrote 
the  following  letter  to  his  daughters ;  ending  with  a  confir- 
mation of  his  hopes  respecting  India. 

"Scarborough,  18th  July,  1812. 

<<  I  had  the  pleasure  to  receive  your  letter,  Augusta,  by 
"  Dr.  B.,  and  was  much  gratified  by  the  perusal ;  and  I  have 
«  seen  Charlotte's  letter  to  her  mamma,  which  is  equally  plea- 
<<  sing  to  me ;  for  in  both  letters  I  think  I  perceive  a  love 
«*  of  piety,  or  at  least  a  wish  that  you  could  love  it.  It  is 
»'  indeed  so  amiable  a  quality  in  young  persons,  that  I  can- 
<«  not  contemplate  them  with  any  pleasure,  if  they  be  desti- 
« tute  of  it.  For  what  are  all  other  acquirements  or  pos- 
*«  sessions  compared  with  this  !  Nothing.  I  wish  you  both 
<<  to  possess  that  which  will  give  you  hope,  and  me  comfort, 
<^  in  the  prospect  of  your  dissolution.  I  wish  to  see  you 
«^  smile,  and  have  inward  peace,  when  you  are  shutting  your 
"eyes  on  the  glories  of  life.  But  they  are  not  glories. 
<^  They  are  vanities,  /cannot  make  you  believe  this.  The 
<*  grace  of  God  alone  can  teach  you  this  truth.     And  this 


464  MEMOIRS  OF 

**  j^race  is  given  oftentimes  to  children  as  youn]^  as  you. 
«<  When  Christ  said,  •  Suffer  little  children  to  come  unto 
*'  me,'  and  when  he  quoted  the  Psalms  to  the  Jews,  wiiere 
*<it  is  said,  <  Out  of  the  mouths  of  babes  and  sucklings 
«  thou  hast  perfected  praise,'  he  meant  to  intimate,  that  the 
*<  grace  of  God  is  communicated  to  young  children  as  well 
<'  as  to  old  persons  ;  and  that  children  may  adorn  the  Gos- 
*<  pel  by  the  beauty  and  piety  of  their  conduct  as  well  as  the 
*<  aged  Christian.  But  how  is  this  grace  to  be  attained? 
<*  It  will  not  be  given  to  you  unless  you  intreat  God  to  be- 
<*stow  it.  That  is  an  ordinance  or  rule  of  God.  And  it 
<^<  will  not  do  to  ask  in  words  only,  in  a  formal  way ;  but 
**  you  must  «lift  up  your  voice'  in  your  closet,  and  expect 
"  it  earnestly,  as  if  you  expected  <  a  treasure.' 

"  Be  so  good  as  to  tell and  —  that  I 

<<  have  received  a  letter  from  Colonel  Macaulay  this  inorn- 
<^  ing,  informing  me  that  a  deputation  of  Messrs.  Wilber- 
<«  force.  Grant,  Babington,  &c.  had  waited  oA  Lord  Liver- 
*'  pool  on  the  subject  of  evangelizing  India,  and  thai  his 
*«  Lordship  surprised  them  by  offering  almost  more  than 
*'  they  wished.  He  intimated  his  intention  to  carry  the 
«  three  following  important  measures ;  1st,  To  establish  a 
<*  seminary  at  each  Presidency  in  India  for  instructing 
*<  natives  for  the  ministry.  2nd,  To  grant  licences  for  mis- 
^<  sionaries,  not  from  the  Court  of  Directors,  but  from  the 
*<  Board  of  Controul.     3d,  To  consecrate  bishops  for  India. 

<«  Your  mamma  Joins  me  in  love  to  you  both  5  and  I  re- 
"  main,  my  dear  girls, 

"  Your  affectionate  Father, 

•*  C.  Buchanan." 

The  following  extracts  from  letters  to  several  of  his 
friends  will  shew  the  general  state  of  Dr.  Buchanan's 
health,  feelings,  and  employments,  during  the  remainder  of 
this  eventful  year. 

'^  Kirby  Hall,  17th  August. 

^<  I  am  just  returned  from  Scarborough,  where  I  have 
*'  been  for  the  last  six  weeks  trying  the  efficacy  of  the  warm 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  46^ 

"  baths  at  that  place.  I  have  been  strengthened  a  little, 
"  but  am  still  very  weak. 

*<  I  have  hardly  any  news  but  what  I  find  in  the  Bible ; 
«  and  that  book  is  always  new.  I  keep  far  aloof  from  the 
"  world  ;  at  least  I  wish  to  do  so  ;  and  my  present  indisposi- 
"  tion  favours  my  wishes.  But  even  in  this  evil  world  every 
*<  week  produces  joyful  events.  The  city  of  London  has 
**  formed  itself  into  a  Bible  Society  ;  and  the  Chancellor  of 
^«  the  Exchequer  has  stood  forth  boldly  as  the  advocate  and 
<*  supporter  of  the  religion  of  Christ.  But  if  I  were  to  re- 
«  count  all  the  blessings  of  God  to  this  unworthy  land,  I 
<<  should  need  a  quire  of  paper :  a  quire  !  If  all  the  bles- 
<«  sings  to  this  unworthy  land  were  written,  <  the  world  it- 
^«  seir  (to  use  the  bold  hyperbole  of  St.  John)  *  would  not 
«'  contain  the  books  that  should  be  written.' 

'*  I  rejoice  to  hear  that  you  find  yourself  fully  employed 
"  from  day  to  day,  feeling  the  w^eight  of  the  labour,  and  yet 
"  obtaining  sti^ength  for  the  day.  For  this,  believe  me, 
^*  is  the  happiest  state  of  your  existence.  The  exertion  of 
"  mind,  under  parochial,  domestic,  and  scholastic  cares,  is 
"  like  the  budding  and  blossoming  of  trees  which  promise 
«  plenty  of  fruit.  By  and  by  it  will  be  the  autumn  for  you 
<*  and  Mrs.  K. ;  labour  and  sin  and  sorrow  will  cease,  and  a 
«'  glorious  state  of  felicity  will  begin  :  of  which  I  pray,  that 
<«  all  your  children  and  all  your  pupils  may  partake  !" 

"  14th  November. 

"  Thanks  to  you  for  your  kind  letter.  I  am  in  much  the 
"  same  slate  I  have  been,  but  I  cannot  write  a  page  without 
*<  difficulty.  The  paralytic  affection  remains  without  sensi- 
"  ble  abatement  in  my  right  hand,  foot,  and  side.  I  can 
*<  however  walk  and  ride  a  little  :  and  I  have  preached  re- 
<<  gularly  this  last  month.  There  is  no  hope  of  my  acqui- 
<<  ring  strength  soon,  for  I  do  not  take  sufficient  food,  I  am 
"therefore  content  to  do  a  little,  not  knowing  whether  I 
<*  shall  obtain  strength  to  do  more. 

<<  I  have  just  had  a  letter  from  Mr.  Owen,  (to  whom  I  had 
«  occasion  to  send  sixty  pounds  for  the  3ible  Society,  and 
**  ten  pounds  for  Serampore  to  Mr.  Macaulay,  from  the  fa- 

N  .S 


460  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  mily  here,)  in  which  he  manifests  great  alarm  about  Mr. 
"  Brown.  Mr.  Thomason's  letter  stated,  that  he  was  not 
"  expected  to  live  a  week.  But  my  letter  is  the  latest  1 
"  presume.  You  would  hear  of  the  Serampore  conflagration. 
"  The  missionaries  will  soon  recruit  their  money ;  but  the 
«*  work  will  be  somewhat  retarded." 

"  Dec.  17. 

<<  I  thought  I  was  going  on  very  well,  but  I  was  suddenly 
<'  threatened  with  a  return  of  illness.  It  has  hitherto  been 
<«  mercifully  prevented  ;  but  I  am  obliged  to  desist  entirely 
<*  from  my  labour  in  the  ministry ;  and  am  forbidden  to  en- 
<«  gage  in  severe  study. 

*'  I  rejoice  to  see  you  working  with  so  much  alacrity  and 
*<  content  while  strength  is  afforded  you.  ^  Be  thou  faithful 
•<  unto  death,  and  I  will  give  thee  a  crown  of  life.' 

"  What  a  terrible  retribution  is  the  modern  Senacherib 
«  experiencing  on  the  wolds  of  Russia !  What  an  event  for 
«^  the  use  and  edification  of  the  Christian!  I  fear  both  na- 
<*  tions  and  individuals  will  suffer  morally  froAi  their  exulta- 
« tion.  May  you  and  I  live  to  God,  whether  Buonaparte 
"  live  or  die  !" 

"Dec.  19. 

<«  What  a  loss  will  Mr.  Robinson  be  to  the  Christian 
<*  world!  How  many  has  he  blessed  in  various  ways,  by 
*<  preaching,  writing,  and  family  exhortation  !  What  a  shi- 
*<  ning  example  to  all  the  midland  ministers !  I  esteemed 
*<  him  the  greatest  preacher  in  England,*  as  Mr.  Scott  is  the 
**  greatest  divine. 

<«  I  rejoice  to  see  you  continue  in  a  spiritual  frame.    It  is 

*«  the  balm  of  life.     If  Mr.  has  seen   and  tasted  that 

"  •  Christ  is  precious,'  he  will  '  set  his  face  like  a  flint.'  If 
•<  his  convictions  have  only  been  general,  he  will  not  be  very 
<^  useful  in  a  higher  sphere." 

"Dec.  29. 

*<  I  received  your  welcome  note,  and  desire  the  best  bles- 
•«  sings  may  be  your  portion  in  return.  I  suffer  at  present 
*<  from  the  effects  of  a  blister  on  the  neck,  which  has  taken 
<*  a  strong  hold  of  my  constitution,  and  can  only  write  a  few 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  46y 

•*  lines.  If  I  could  write,  I  have  only  to  say,  that  I  join  with 
"  you  in  your  hallelujah  to  Him  wlio  came  at  this  season  to 
•^  redeem  lost  man,  and  to  make  us  kings  and  priests  unto 
•*  God.     May  our  song  which  begins  now,  last  for  ever  ! 

*<  I  had  not  heard  that  H.  Martyn  was  about  to  return. 
•*  God,  wlio  ordereth  all  things  well,  will  shew  us  periiaps 
•«  that  all  these  events  are  conducive  to  his  glory." 

At  the  close  of  this  year,  and  the  commencement  of  the 
following,  Dr.  Buchanan  was  occupied,  at  the  suggestion  of 
some  of  his  friends,  in  preparing  a  new  work,  in  the  pros- 
pect of  the  approaching  parliamentary  discussions  on  the  re- 
newal of  the  charter  of  the  East  India  Company,  with  re- 
ference to  some  more  direct  and  effectual  provision  for  the 
promotion  of  Christianity  in  our  Asiatic  empire.  Before  we 
proceed,  however,  with  this  important  subject,  we  must  ad- 
vert to  some  events  which  deeply  affected  the  domestic  hap- 
piness of  Dr.  Buchanan  dui'ing  the  first  three  months  of  the 
year  1813.  These  will  be  best  related  in  his  own  words. 
In  a  note  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thompson  on  the  27th  of  Febru- 
ary he  wrote  thus. 

"  I  dare  say  your  hearts  will  be  filled  with  joy  on  the 
<*  event  of  dear  Mary  having  been  so  safely  delivered.  As 
«<  for  the  little  one,  w  ho  would  only  stay  half  an  hour  in  this 
<^  evil  world,  there  is  no  reason  that  we  should  grieve  for 
*<  him.  I  am  happy  to  say,  that  his  dear  mother  is  perfect- 
^<  ly  composed  and  resigned  to  the  dispensation. 

"  May  the  God  of  this  family,  even  the  God  of  Abraham, 
•«  Isaac,  and  of  Jacob,  who  surroundeth  us  witli  his  comforts, 
•'«  administer  to  you  also  the  consolation  and  support  you  re- 
"  spectively  stand  in  need  of,  and  shine  on  your  path  till  you 
"  become  partakers  of  his  glory  !" 

On  the  same  day,  Dr.  Buchanan  communicated  this  event 
to  one  of  his  friends,  and  accompanied  it  with  the  following 
notice  of  the  afflicting  intelligence  which  had  been  lately 
received  from  India,  and  of  the  dubious  state  of  his  own 
health. 


468  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  I  presume  you  have  heard  of  the  death  of  the  Rev.  Mr. 
*^  Brown,  of  Calcutta,  and  of  Mr.  Martyn.  And  so  these 
^'  good  men  have  ascended  up  on  high  in  the  vigour  of  age 
*<  and  life.  Let  us  aspire  to  follow  them,  and  join  the  assem- 
«  bly  of  the  firstborn  ! 

<^  I  have  no  news  for  you,  heing,  like  yourself,  much  reti- 
*«  red  from  the  world.  I  continue  in  my  former  state,  as  to 
<*  health ;  that  is,  I  can  make  little  progress  in  acquiring 
<«  strength,  while  the  danger  of  a  third  attack  of  paralysis 
<«  (which  is  imminent)  obliges  me  to  take  little  nourishment, 
*'  and  yet  to  lose  much  blood." 

On  the  13th  of  March,  Dr.  Buchanan,  in  writing  to  an- 
other of  his  friends,  added ; 

<«  Mrs.  B.  recovers  well,  and  has  been  applying  to  h.erself 
«<  St.  Paul's  reasoning  on  the  advantages  of  being  without 
« the  cares  of  a  family.  I  tell  her  St.  Paul's  is  a  wonderful 
<«  book — it  suits  every  stateJ^ 

This  favourable  appearance,  however,  of  recovery  was 
but  of  short  duration.  The  following  brief  narrative,  drawn 
up  by  Dr.  Buchanan  for  the  consolation  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Thompson,  describes  in  simple  but  affecting  language  the 
sudden  extinction  of  his  hopes,  and  the  repetition  of  the 
blow  which  had  once  before  laid  low  his  expectations  of 
earthly  happiness. 

«  Long  before  her  last  illness,  my  dear  Mary  had  fre- 
<<  quently  contemplated  the  probability  of  her  dying  in  ear- 
«  ly  life.  Her  delight  was  to  talk  of  things  heavenly  and 
<«  spiritual,  and  her  studies  were  almost  entirely  religious. 
<«  Her  spirits  seemed  to  have  been  much  chastened  by  per- 
«<  sonal  and  by  domestic  suffering ;  and  her  affections  were 
*(  gradually  losing  their  hold  of  this  world.  After  her  last 
*<  confinement,  her  heart  appeared  to  be  devoted  to  God  in  a 
*•  particular  manner.  On  the  third  day  she  wrote  the  fol- 
<*  lowing  note  to  her  dear  mother. 

«  <  You  will  rejoice  to  hear  I  am  as  well  as  can  be  expect- 
*<  cd,  and  that  I  feel  a  wonderful  serenittj  of  mind,    I  feel  a 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  469 

«  want  for  my  poor  little  babe.  Yet  I  do  not  repine,  for  1 
<<  have  great  need  of  all  the  Lord's  chastisements ;  and  if  1 
<^  gain  one  step  towards  heaven,  I  am  abundantly  repaid, 
**  and  would  joyfully  go  through  all  over  again  to-morrow  to 
"  gain  one  step  more.  I  have  great  need  of  correction  ;  but 
'«  why  my  dear  husband  should  be  a  sufferer  in  these  losses 
"  I  cannot  conceive,  who  is  so  much  farther  advanced  in  his 
"  heavenly  course  and  experience  in  every  way.  Pray  for 
<*  me,  that  [  may  so  run  as  to  obtain  the  heavenly  prize. 

«*  *  My  kind  love  to  my  poor  little  girls.  Tell  them  I  hope, 
'<  in  the  course  of  a  day  or  two,  to  be  able  to  see  them.  I 
**  have  great  cause  for  thankfulness  in  every  way.  Adieu. 
"  adieu.' 

«  Notwithstanding  her  continued  indisposition,  accompa- 
"  nied  by  a  high  fever,  she  greatly  enjoyed  my  prayers  and 
«<  religious  converse.  Having  lost  her  child,  she  frequently 
**  alluded  to  the  pleasure  she  anticipated  in  forming  the 
<<  minds  of  Charlotte  and  Augusta,  and  preparing  them  for 
«« the  heavenly  state.  We  mutually  expressed  the  hope  of 
"  devoting  ourselves  to  the  service  of  God  for  the  time  to 
'« come,  more  affectionately  and  actively  than  we  had  done 
<*  in  time  past.  She  looked  forward,  certainly,  to  the  com- 
^«  fort  of  enjoying  more  tlie  life  of  a  saint  on  earth ;  but  1  do 
"  not  think  she  expected  so  early  to  be  a  saint  in  heaven. 
<^  The  expectations  and  assurances  of  ail  her  medical  attend- 
<*  ants  were  very  flattering  in  regard  to  her  recovery.  A  ra- 
^<  pid  recovery  was  prognosticated;  but  she  more  than  once 
*«  intimated  that  they  did  not  understand  her  case. 

<*  On  the  night  previous  to  her  death,  while  she  sat  on  the 
<•'  couch  in  my  study,  she  begged  I  would  give  her  the  Bible, 
<«  and  a  little  table,  and  a  candle.  She  read  one  of  the 
<*  Psalms  very  attentively,  the  4j6th  I  believe,  beginning 
<<  with  these  words,  <  God  is  our  refuge  and  strength,  a  very 
«  present  help  in  trouble.'  And  when  I  took  the  Bible  out 
«  of  her  hands,  finding  it  open  at  that  Psalm,  I  read  it  to  her 
<*  as  a  portion  of  our  evening  religious  exercise. 


470  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  On  the  morning  of  the  day  on  which  she  died,  attei*  I 
"  had  kneeled  by  her  bedside,  as  usual,  and  prayed  with 
*<  her,  and  had  left  her,  she  desired  her  maid  to  read  a 
**  hymn  to  her.  She  began  one,  but  immediately  said  it 
"  was  a  funeral  hymn ;  to  which  she  replied,  «  a  funeral 
"  hymn  will  suit  me  very  well.' 

'*  About  an  hour  afterwards  she  was  brought  into  my 
"  study,  and  took  her  seat  in  the  arm-chair.     About  one 
"  o'clock  her  dear  father  and  mother  came  to  visit  her. 
«  After  her  father  had  stayed  some  time,  he  and  1  went  out 
«*  in  the  carriage  for  an  hour,  while  her  mother  remained 
<^  with  her.     On  our  return,  her  mother   took  her  leave, 
"  and  I   accompanied  her  down  stairs  to  the  carriage.     On 
**  my  coming  up,  my  dear  Mary  had  just  got  up  from  her 
"  chair,  and  walked  over  to  the  couch  with  a  quick  step  as- 
^^sistedby  her  nurse,  from  an  apprehension  that  she  was 
"  about  to  faint.     I  immediately  supported  her  in  my  arms. 
*<  Slight  faintings   succeeded,  but  they  were  momentary. 
"  She  complained  of  a  pain  near  her  heart.     On  my  saying, 
«*  I  hoped  it  would  soon   be  over,  she  replied,  *  O  no,  it  is 
*<  not  over  yet ;  what  is  this  that  is  come  upon  me  ? — send 
<^  for  mamma.'     After  a  few  minutes'  struggle,  she  sat  up 
**  in  the  couch  with  much  strength ;  and  looking  towards 
"  the  window,  she  uttered  a  loud  cry,  that  might  have  been 
«*  heard  at  a  considerable  distance.     She  then  drank  a  little 
"water;  and  immediately  after  drinking,  without  a  groan 
"  or  sigh,  her  head  fell  upon  my  breast.     I  thought  she  had 
<^only  fainted  ;  but  her  spirit  at  that  moment  had  taken  its 
"  flight.     It  was  just  three  o'clock  in  the  day. 

<*  Thus  died  my  beloved  wife.     She  was  ready  for  the 
«  summons.     She  had  long  lived  as  one  who  waited  for  the 
<<  coming  of  her  Lord.*  Her  loins  were  girded,  her  lamp  - 
'*  was  burning,  and  the  staff  was  in  her  hand.     She  had 
*<  nothing  to  do  but  to  depart. 

"  <  Blessed  are  those  servants  whom  the  Lord  when  he 
*<  Cometh  shall  find  watching ;  and  if  he  shall  come  in  the 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  47 1 

<«  second  watch,  or  come  in  the  third  watch,  and  find  them 
«  so,  blessed  are  those  servants.'  Luke  xii.  37."* 

"  Moat  Hall,  13tl.  April,  1813." 

A  few  days  after  this  afflicting  event,  Dr.  Buchanan  ex- 
pressed  his  personal  feelings  more  fully,  and  detailed,  in 
his  *<  Private  Thoughts,"  with  genuine  Christian  humility, 
those  *•  peaceable  fruits  of  righteousness,"  which  he  was 
chirfly  anxious  to  derive  from  his  loss.  The  notice  of  some 
of  them  will,  doubtless,  interest  many  readers. 

"  My  first  emotions  of  thankfulness  (when  I  could  seek 
<*  subjects  of  thankfulness)  were,  "that  her  last  trial  was  so 
«  short.'  It  was  given  me  to  witness  for  my  soul's  health,  I 
«*  trust ;  and  it  was  awful  indeed,  but  it  was  short." 

*'  Monday  Evening,  29Ui  March. 

*«  I  have  passed  this  week  in  a  mourning  and  disconsolate 
"  state.  I  have  lost  appetite  for  food,  and  dwell  almost 
«*  constantly  on  the  circumstances  of  my  loss. 

<•'  I  suffer  chiefly  from  the  reOection,  that  I  did  not  com 
•<  mune  with  her  more  frequently  and  directly  on  the  state 
<<  of  her  soul.  #  *  *  God  ordained  her  personal  and  domes- 
"  tic  sufferings  to  mature  her  for  her  approaching  change. 
«  #  #  ^  #  Mature  in  my  heart,  blessed  Saviour,  this  afflic- 
«« tion,  and  enable  me  to  obey  the  new  commandment,  <  that 
"  ye  h)ve  one  another.' 

"  This  love  exercised  towards  a  wife  or  children  acquires 
<«  a  double  force ;  natural  affection  cooperating  with  spirit- 
"  ual  love. 

*<  Teach  me,  0  Lord,  to  love  my  children  as  I  ought  to 
^«  do,  both  in  a  natural  and  spiritual  sense." 

"Aprils,  1813. 

*<  My  grief  has  been  growing  more  and  more  faint  and 
<*  languid;  but  blessed  be  the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord 
"Jesus  Christ,  my  sense  of  things  heavenly  and  my  peni- 
'<  fence  for  past  sins  have  rather  increased.  I  am  enabled 
"  to  pray  three  times  a  day,  and  am  not  as  usual  driven 

a  The  inscription  on  Mrs.  Buchanan's  tomb,  written  by  her  aftectionate  husband, 
will  be  found  at  the  end  of  the  volume. 


4i7;si  MEMOIRS  OF 

"hastily  from  my  knees.  O  that  this  may  continue!  1 
♦<  have  long  prayed  for  a  spirit  of  grace  and  supplication, 
*<  and  now  the  Lord  hath  been  pleased  to  give  it  by  means 
«  that  I  did  not  expect.  However  it  comes,  it  is  a  long  lost 
'*  blessing. 

«  The  chief  petitions  in  my  prayers  have  been  these : 

"  1.  That  God  would  strike  the  rock  of  my  affections  with 
'*  his  rod,  and  cause  the  waters  to  flow;  that  I  might  become 
"  tender  hearted,  truly  humble  and  solicitous  about  the 
*<  spiritual  state  of  men. 

"  2.  That  I  might  open  my  mouth  in  the  cause  of  God. 
^•Hitherto  my  lips  have  been  locked  in  a  torpid  silence. 
«'  There  is,  indeed,  much  that  is  constitutional  in  this  taci- 
<<  turnity ;  and  my  late  nervous  indisposition  has  greatly 
**  increased  it.  Like  Hooker,  I  can  scarcely  look  my  chil- 
**  dren  or  servants  in  the  face. 

« 1  have  prayed  that  this  unaccountable  weakness  may 
"be  removed;  that  I  may  become  vocal  for  God  at  all  times 
"  and  in  all  places  ;  that  I  may  look  earnestly  into  the  eyes 
"  and  countenances  of  men,  and  seek  anxiously  their  salva- 
"tion;  that  I  may  never  forget  the  agonizing  looks  and 
*«  powerful  voice  of  my  dear  wife  in  the  struggle  of  death ; 
"  and  that  I  may  call  forth  some  animation  of  soul  in  imj  looks 
"  and  words  during  my  life. 

*<  3.  That  I  may  learn  to  seek  the  glory  of  God  as  the  first 
"  object  in  my  conversation  in  the  world,  and  to  pray  ear- 
"  nestly  for  the  conversion  of  all  men. 

"  4.  liCt  me  look  on  every  person  whom  my  eyes  survey 
**  with  benevolence,  loving  my  neighbour  as  myself,  and 
"  utter  a  mental  prayer  for  that  person,  <  May  this  be  a  ves- 
<*  sel  of  mercy  prepared  unto  glory  !* 

"  5.  That  the  spirit  of  grace  and  supplication  may  never 
»•  depart  from  me ;  and  that  God  may  hear  my  morning, 
<•  noon-tide,  and  evening  supplication  during  every  day  of 
"  my  pilgrimage. 

*i  6.  That  *  =)^  *  I  may  fix  my  love,  hopes,  and  affections 
"  on    God ;  and  obtain  tliat  fellowship  which  I  learn  from 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  4,73 

^*  Scripture    is  attainable    by   man   in   bis   present   state. 
"  Amen." 

Dr.  Bucbanan's  communications  to  bis  friends  upon  this 
melancholy  occasion  breathe  the  same  spirit  as  his  more 
private  meditations,  and  will  still,  it  is  presumed,  be  thought 
interesting  and  instructive.  The  following  are  extracts 
from  some  of  them. 

"  Kirby  Hall,  2d  April,  181S. 

After  replying  to  one  or  two  points  respecting  public 
events,  he  adds ; 

"  But  I  do  not  know  what  is  passing  in  these  days.  The 
•<  death  of  Mrs.  Buchanan  has  removed  to  a  vast  distance 
<<  from  my  mind  subjects  which  were  familiar  to  it.  ...  I 
*'  could  not  have  believed  that  I  should  have  been  so  much 
*<  moved  by  the  event  as  I  am,  or  that  my  affections  would 
« have  been  so  powerfully  awakened. — May  the  spiritual 
«  impression  I  have  received  never  be  obliterated  from  my 
<*  soul ! 

"  Offer  my  Christian  love  to  your  wife  who  is  yet  alive. 
"  And  may  you  and  she  enjoy  much  spiritual  communion 
•^  with  each  other,  before  the  hour  of  separation  arrives  !" 

"4th  April. 

^<  My  dear  Sister, 

**  Charlotte  has  shewn  me  your  kind  letter.  I  thank  you 
<*  most  sincerely  for  your  tender  sympathy  on  my  late  loss. 
"  The  summons  came  suddenly  for  Mrs.  Buchanan,  but 
^«  she  was  evidently  matured  for  her  new  state  of  existence; 
<*  and  I  believe  she  in  some  degree  anticipated  it.  Her 
"  death  has,  I  trust,  been  blessed  to  myself,  and,  I  would 
**  hope,  to  my  children. 

*<  While  your  dear  husband  is  spared  to  you,  and  you  are 
«  spared  to  him,  enjoy  as  much  spiritual  converse  together 
<*  as  is  possible.  For  when  the  separation  comes,  you  will 
♦'  reproach  yourselves  bitterly,  if  you  have  not  been  ten- 
<*  derly  communicative  on  this  subject. 

«*  I  remain,  my  dear  Sister, 

**  Very  affectionately  yours^ 

<*  C.  BUCHANAX." 

o  .S 


4,74^  MEMOIRS  OF 

*i  To  Colonel  Sandys. 

"  15th  April. 

"  Accept  my  sincere  thanks  for  your  kind  letter  of  condo- 
"  lence.  Your  topics  of  consolation  are  all  excellent ;  and 
"  you  point  to  the  right  source,  the  heavenly  Paraclete. 

*<-I  sliall  not  be  able  to  make  a  journey  into  Cornwall. 
•»  I  lelurn  you  thanks  for  your  most  obliging  offer,  which  is 
»<  a  true  mark  of  your  personal  friendship,  and  of  Christian 
a  regard.  My  infirm  state  forbids  my  moving  from  home 
»*  for  some  time,  except  in  a  case  of  urgent  necessity. 

**  I  can  write  but  little.  My  pen  refuses  to  say  much 
*<  since  Mrs.  Buchanan's  death.  But  I  hope  I  have  been 
"  affected  by  it  chiefly  in  a  spiritual  manner." 

"  To  Colonel  Macaulay, 

"  April  16. 

<<  1  thank  you  most  sincerely  for  your  kind  letter.  The 
**  mournful  event  has,  I  trust,  been  sanctified  to  me.  Some 
<*such  affliction  appears  to  have  been  necessary  to  soften  a 
"  hard  and  proud  heart.  I  pray  that  the  salutary  effects 
<'  may  never  pass  away. 

"  I  am  happy  to  hear  you  speak  so  favourably  of  the  dispo- 
**  sition  of  government  in  regard  to  the  extension  of  Christ- 
•*  ianity  in  the  East.  Mr.  Wilberforce  has  urged  me  to  go 
*^  up  and  give  evidence  at  the  bar  of  the  House  of  Lords.  I 
^«  told  him  I  am  w  illing  to  appear ;  the  only  question  is, 
<*  whether  it  be  physically  practicable.  The  physicians  op- 
•«  pose  my  going.     1  do  not  know  what  will  be  the  event." 

Tire  latter  sentence  in  the  preceding  extract  leads  back 
our  attention  to  the  great  subject  wliich  occupied  the  minds 
of  religious  men  during  tlie  former  part  of  this  year,  and 
with  reference  to  whicli,  it  has  been  already  seen,  that  Dr. 
Buchanan  vvas  employed,  when  his  thoughts  were  for  a  time 
diverted  from  it  by  the  late  afflicting  event  in  liis  family. 
To  this  important  subject,  therefore,  we  will  now  return. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  ^5 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  liglit  whicli  had  been  thrown  a  few  years  since, 
chiefly  by  means  of  Dr.  Buchanan's  writini^s,  on  the  state  of 
religion  in  India,  and  tiie  interest  which  had  been  in  conse- 
quence excited  upDn  that  subject  tliroughout  the  nation,  pro- 
duced a  very  general  impression  as  to  tlie  duty  of  urging 
upon  the  attention  of  Parliament  the  necessity  of  making 
some  more  effectual  provision  for  the  religious  instruction  of 
British  India,  and  of  increasing  the  facilities  of  imparting 
the  blessings  of  Christian  knowledge  to  the  unenlightened 
millions  of  our  native  subjects.  To  promote  these  most  im- 
portant objects,  several  valuable  tracts  were  published  by 
the  friends  of  religion  ;  amongst  which  may  be  particularly 
mentioned  an  admirable  «  Letter  to  a  Friend  on  the  duty  of 
**  Great  Britain  to  disseminate  Christianity  in  Indian  occa- 
"  sioned  by  the  proposed  renewal  of  the  Charter  of  the  East 
*'  India  Company*;"  and  a  masterly  "  Address  to  the  Pub- 
"  lie,"  on  the  same  momentous  topic,  by  the  Rev.  Robert 
Hall. 

The  subject  was  also  briefly  but  powerfully  touched  by  an 
able  and  eloquent  defender''  of  the  general  system  of  our 
East  Indian  administration  ;  who,  in  combating  an  insinua- 
tion of  a  valuable  writer  on  the  south  of  India,  thus  expresses 
his  own  views  upon  the  subject  of  promoting  Christianity  in 
the  East. 

"  The  question  respecting  the  introduction  of  Christianity 
<*  into  Hindostan  does  not,  it  must  be  owned,  fall  precisely 
<«  within  the  subject  of  the  present  work  ;  but  its  high  impor- 
*<  tance  will  justify  a  few  words  upon  it,  even  at  the  expense 
<<  of  what  may  seem  a  digression. 

'<  The  idea  of  coercive  proselytism,  however  mild  the  com- 
"  pulsory  means  employed,  merits  all  the  epithets  which  the 
«  language  of  reprobation  can  attach  to  it;  and  even  that  of 

a  See  the  Christian  Observer,  vol.  xi.  p.  261. 
b  Robert  Grant,  Esq. 


4^76  MEMOIRS  OF 

*<  proselytism  by  the  simple  exertion  of  state  influence, 
"  seems,  in  Hindostan,  to  say  the  best  of  it,  Inghly  objection- 
«  able.  But  surely  the  idea  of  proselytism  by  the  bare  effect 
«  of  conviction, — by  the  effect  of  an  unforced,  unbribed,  and 
"  unbiassed  acquiescence  in  truth  and  reason, — however 
**  visionary  it  may  appear  to  some  persons,  can  only  by  a 
*<  very  singular  rule  of  arrangement  be  classed  with  unman- 
"  ly,  ungenerous,  and  unchristian  deception.  To  such  a 
**  pitch  of  refinement  would  this  valuable  author  have  us 
"  carry  our  reverence  for  the  superstitions  of  Hindooism ! 
**  Their  sanctity  seems  to  be  like  what  is  said  of  the  priestly 
*<  character,  indelible.  Their  sovereignty  is  so  essential 
**  and  inherent,  that  they  not  only  cannot  be  deposed,  but 
"  cannot  even  voluntarily  abdicate. 

*<  A  few  years  ago  this  subject  was  debated  with  great 
"  heat;  but  at  present  will  surely  receive  a  calm  attention. 
*«  The  accomplished  Sir  William  Jones,  who  was  equally 
*^  distinguished  for  his  acuteness,  his  philanthropy,  and  his 
*«  candour,  has  given  his  sanction  to  attempts,  cautiously  and 
••*  fairly  conducted,  for  the  introduction  of  the  Christian  reli- 
*<  gion  among  the  natives  of  Hindostan.  If,  indeed,  as  Colonel 
"  Wilks  justly  affirms,  ^  it  never  can  be  a  question,  whether 
<*  the  English  or  the  Hindoo  code  of  religion  be  entitled  to 
*<  the  preference,'  the  wish  must  naturally  suggest  itself  to 
»<  every  humane  and  unprejudiced  mind,  that  the  better  sys- 
"tem  should  have  every  chance  of  the  wider  diffusion.  On- 
« ly  the  distinction  is  ever  to  be  carefully  observed  between 
"  making  it  a  matter  of  option  and  a  matter  of  authority ;  a 
«  distinction  whicli,  even  as  applied  to  this  particular  case, 
«  the  experience  of  many  years  has  now  shewn  that  the  na- 
"  tives  are  perfectly  able  to  comprehend.  The  uncompelled 
'«  and  tranquil  circulation  of  the  Christian  Scriptures  (the 
"  method  peculiarly  recommended  by  Sir  William  Jones) 
♦<  appears  so  free  from  all  possibility  of  exception,  that  it 
■i^  ought  to  receive  the  fullest  and  most  willing  toleration 
"  from  the  Indo-British  Presidencies.  Otherwise  they  would 
"  indeed  <  forcibly  stand  between'  the  Hindoo  population  and 
'« the  highest  and  deepest  hopes  that  can  be  infused  into  the 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  477 

•«  human  heart.  And  surely  no  government  calling  itself 
<^  Christian  can,  without  incurring  a  fearful  responsibility, 
<«  refuse  to  a  Christian  missionary,  so  long  as  he  shall  de- 
"  mean  himself  with  strict  loyalty,  steady  discretion,  and 
^^  unimpeachable  virtue,  the  opportunity  of  exerting  his  un- 
<«  bought  and  honourable  labour  among  the  natives  of  Hin- 
«  dostan." 

It  was  natural,  however,  to  look  to  him  who  had  first  awa- 
kened the  public  mind  to  the  imperious  duty  of  regarding 
the  religious  concerns  of  our  oriental  empire,  to  lead  the  way 
in  an  appeal  to  the  legislature  upon  this  subject.  Accord- 
ingly, amidst  the  pressure  of  domestic  sorrow  and  of  per- 
sonal debility.  Dr.  Buchanan  composed  and  published,  early 
in  the  spring,  a  work  entitled,  "  Colonial  Ecclesiastical 
«« Establishment :  being  a  brief  View  of  the  state  of  the 
•<  Colonies  of  Great  Britain,  and  of  her  Asiatic  Empire,  in 
«  respect  to  religious  instruction :  prefaced  by  some  consi- 
"  derations  on  the  national  duty  of  affording  it.'' 

Though  the  state  of  the  question  relative  to  the  promotion 
of  Christianity  in  India  was  very  materially  and  happily 
changed  since  the  year  1807,  when  it  was  so  fully  discussed, 
and  thoughtful  and  religious  men  were  in  general  persuaded 
of  the  necessity  and  importance  of  that  measure,  Dr.  Bu- 
chanan still  deemed  it  expedient  to  commence  his  work  by 
briefly  but  pointedly  urging  this  duty  upon  a  Christian  na- 
tion, and  by  arguing  from  various  considerations,  that  the 
voice  of  Providence  was  evidently  calling  upon  Great  Britain 
to  undertake  it.  He  next  entered  upon  an  examination  of 
the  means  of  thus  diffusing  Christianity  ;  and  under  the  head 
of  one  of  them,  "  the  extension  of  the  National  Church," 
gave  a  sketch  of  a  general  colonial  establishment,  and  of  the 
state  of  religion  in  the  West  Indies.  Dr.  Buchanan  then 
argued  the  question  as  to  the  policy  of  promoting  Christiani- 
ty in  India. 

On  the  subject,  however,  of  parliamentary  interference, 
lie  stated,  that  it  was  not  his  intention  to  urge  the  legisla- 
ture to  adopt  any  direct  means  in  the  way  of  expensive  es- 
tablishments for  proselyting  the  natives.     All,  he  said,  that 


478  xMEiMOIRS  OF 

was  expected  at  present  in  regard  to  them  was,  that  the 
goyernini^  power  would  not  shew  itself  hostile  to  the  measure 
of  instructing  them.  Great  Britain,  he  alleged,  owed  her 
primary  obligations  to  her  own  children.  The  work,  there- 
fore, is  closed  by  a  powerful  appeal  to  Parliament  as  to  its 
duty  and  responsibility  upon  the  approaching  decision  of 
this  momentous  question,  and  with  the  sketch  of  an  Eccle- 
siastical Establishment  for  British  India,  which  has  been 
already  mentioned^. 

Such  is  a  brief  outline  of  the  contents  of  this  volume, 
which  was  very  extensively  circulated,  particularly  amongst 
the  members  of  both  Houses  of  Parliament,  and  made  a 
strong  and  general  impression  throughout  the  country. 

It  was  not  merely,  however,  by  the  press  that  the  friends 
of  religion  endeavoured  to  instruct  and  awaken  the  public 
upon  this  critical  and  momentous  occasion.  They  resorted 
to  the  legitimate  and  constitutional  measure  of  petitioning 
Parliament  upon  the  subject,  and  nine  hundred  addresses 
from  the  cities,  towns,  and  even  villages  of  the  United  King- 
dom, crowded  the  tables  of  both  Houses,  imploring  the  in- 
terference of  the  legislature  in  behalf  of  the  moral  and  re- 
ligious interests  of  India.  The  contest  was  long  and  ardu- 
ous ;  but  the  voice  of  Christian  duty  and  of  sound  policy, 
which  must  ever  be  inseparable,  at  length  prevailed.  A  re- 
solution to  the  following  effect  was  introduced  by  his  Majes- 
ty's ministers  into  both  Houses  ;  and  after  very  full  and 
lengthened  discussions,  in  which  Mr.  Wilberforce,  Mr.  W. 
Smith,  and  Mr.  Stephen  particularly  distinguished  them- 
selves by  their  able  and  eloquent  efforts  in  its  support,  it 
was  in  the  House  of  Commons  carried  by  a  great  majority, 
and  in  the  House  of  Lords  without  debate  and  without  a  di- 
vision. 

**  That  it  is  the  duty  of  this  country  to  promote  the  inte- 
"  rest  and  happiness  of  the  native  inhabitants  of  the  British 
«  dominions  in  India  ;   and  that  such  measures  ought  to  be 
'^adopted  as  may  tend  to  the  introduction  among  them  of  use- 
See  page  458. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  479 

«<  ful  knowledge,  and  of  religious  and  moral  improvement. 
ii  That  in  the  furtherance  of  the  above  objects,  sufficient  fa- 
<*  cilities  shall  be  afforded  by  law  to  persons  desirous  of  going 
"  to  and  remaining  in  India,  for  the  purpose  of  accomplishinc; 
"  these  benevolent  designs." 

A  previous  resolution  had  already  passed,  by  which  a 
bishop  and  three  archdeacons  were  to  be  appointed  to  super- 
intend the  clergy  of  the  Establislied  Church  in  India ;  thus 
accomplishing,  though  not  to  the  extent  which  he  deemed 
necessary,  the  two  great  objects  which  Dr.  Buchanan  had 
so  ably  and  so  perseveringly  pursued. 

It  is  to  these  important  and  interesting  transactions  that 
the  following  extracts  principally  refer.  With  the  exception 
of  the  first,  the  letters  from  which  they  are  taken  were  ad- 
dressed to  a  friend,  to  whose  judicious  and  zealous  exertions 
much  of  the  success  which  ultimately  attended  the  cause 
must  be  ascribed. 

"Kirby  Hall,  Feb.  4,  1813. 

"  You  go  up,  you  say,  to  witness  the  battle  between 

*<  the  Government  and  the  India  Company.  It  rages  very 
"  furiously  at  present.  It  is  a  fine  trial  of  the  honesty  of 
<«  religious  men.  It  is  true,  indeed,  good  men  often  live  and 
^' die  the  slaves  of  particular  prejudices;  but,  generally 
"  speaking,  conscience  will  take  the  alarm,  if  we  are  not 
"  honest  in  our  vote  in  a  cause  between  God  and  man, 

*'  God  will  direct  the  event  according  to  his 

*<  counsel.  There  may  be  no  remarkable  triumph  at  this 
<«  time  :  but  other  parts  of  the  great  catastrophe  (the  reveja- 
<«  tion  of  Christ's  kingdom)  are  approximating,  and  you  may 
"  live  to  see  its  advance.  The  expiration  of  twenty  years 
^*  more  is  likely  to  be  a  grander  period  in  the  Church  than 
«  the  present. 

"  I  have  just  submitted  to  the  insertion  of  a  large  seton 
"  in  the  integuments  of  my  neck.  So  you  see  the  constitu- 
"  tional  propensity  to  paralysis  continues.  But  this  is  the 
«  best  state  for  me.  I  could  not  have  chosen  a  better;  and 
*<  it  does  me  a  great  deal  of  good.    I  need  slow  fires  to  purge 


4B0  MEMOIRS  OF 

^«  away  my  dross.     But  the  Refiner  is  merciful,  and  gives 
«  me  strength  to  bear  tlie  heat  of  the  furnace." 

"  Kirby  Hall,  April  1813. 

«  The  circumstances  of  my  health  render  it  impracticable 
"  for  me  at  present  to  move  to  London.  But  I  shall  proba- 
<«  biy  afford  you  any  information  as  satisfactorily  by  corre- 
"  spondence,  as  if  I  were  on  the  spot. 

**  Your  accomplishing  the  object  of  a  numerous  meeting  at 
<<  the  London  Tavern  was  a  grand  measure,  and  the  whole 
<*  Christian  world  is  indebted  to  you  for  it.  The  resistance 
"  to  your  purposes  will  be  most  resolute.  The  public  voice 
<<  alone  promises  something.  If  every  city  and  town  in 
«'  England  and  Scotland  were  to  petition,  (which  is  practi- 
"  cable,)  the  business  would  acquire  a  new  complexion 
*^  before  the  end  of  May. 

"  The  duty,  however,  of  a  Christian  is  to  be  obedient  to 
<<  the  powers  that  be.  To  claim  as  matter  of  right  the  per- 
«<  mission  of  preaching  Christianity  to  the  Hindoos  is  highly 
«  absurd  ;  and  the  assertion  of  the  right  ought  to  meet  with 
**  a  rebuke. 

<*  Mr.  Wilberforce's  speech  in  the  committee  on  Catholic 
**  claims  will  produce  some  sensation  among  religious  men  in 
'«  England.  I  am  of  opinion  that  he  has  judged  rightly.  Li- 
"  beral  concession  to  the  Catholics  and  Dissenters  will  be 
"  good  medicine  to  some ;  and  will  favour  measures  for  en- 
« larging  the  spiritual  Church  of  Christ.  We  may  be  sure, 
« that  the  country  will  make  no  concession  to  the  Catho- 
*«  lies  which  will  materially  injure  her.  If  she  does,  she  can 
'^  retrace  her  steps,  as  she  has  done  before." 

"May  15. 

"  Many  thanks  to  you  for  *  Christianity  in  India.'  It  is 
♦<  drawn  up  in  the  manner  I  entirely  approve,  which  I  could 
<'  not  say  of  the  former  summaries.  It  comes  in  well  after 
"  the  petitions ;  and  its  perspicuity  and  brevity  will  fix  and 
««  fascinate  the  careless  eye.  I  begin  almost  to  sympathize 
-•'  with  your  Indian  opponents,  the  battering  of  religious 
^<  Britain  has  been  so  tremendous. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  481 

«  Like  you,  I  am  not  anxious  as  to  the  terms  of  conces- 
<«  sion  in  rej^ard  to  the  question.  The  deed  is  done.  Britain 
^^  has  lifted  her  voice  in  her  Christian  character,  and  the 
"  effect  will  he  permanent  and  hlessed.  By  this  concussion 
<*  religion  rises  at  least  two  degrees  in  a  scale  of  twenty, 
"  hoth  in  its  character  and  interests.  The  Bihle  Society  too 
<«  shares  in  the  triumph. 

<«  Mr.  Dealtry's  sermona  was  well  timed ;  and  would  be, 
'*  I  doubt  not,  a  coup  de  grace  to  the  dying  prejudices  of 
<«  some. 

"  I  have  just  read  Dr.  Milner's  Strictures  ;  and  have  prai- 
•*  sed  God,  who  hath  given  such  understanding  to  men.  He 
<<  is  a  host  in  himself;  and  the  Church  will  begin  henceforth 
««  to  view  him  in  a  new  light.  They  will  dread  his  princi- 
<*  pies  less,  and  reverence  his  abilities  more.  I  trust  it  will 
^«  please  God  to  spare  his  life  for  some  years. 

<*  The  publication  of  the  Society's  India  Reports  is  just 
<«  what  we  want.  It  identifies  them  with  us,  and  confirms 
« the  truth  of  facts. 

<*  Spare  your  health,  and  take  repose  ;  for  you  know  not 
«  but  you  may  have  as  much  to  do  next  year." 

♦'Kirby  Hall,  June  2(i. 

"  I  congratulate  you  on  your  great  triumph, 

^<  Such  a  resolution  proposed  under  such  circumstances! 
**  The  moment  it  actually  passes,  the  petitioners  ought  to 
*'  unite  in  one  national  hallelujah. 

....**  What  does  .  .  ,  think  of  civilization  now?  Lord 
'*  Castlereagh  has  put  the  question  to  rest.  He  says,  the 
"  fear  of  it  is  a  chimera." 

"  iltli  June. 

'*  I  am  charmed  with  Whitbread,  when  he  sounds  the 
**  right  note. 

<«  I  continue  stationary  at  present.  I  have  had  blood  ab- 
<«  stracted  twice  by  cupping  within  the  last  month." 

"  5h  July. 

«'  And  so  Mr.  Venn  is  dead  !  What  a  varied  scene  has  he 
*'  passed  through  in  the  evening  of  life  !  permitted,  no  doubt, 

^  Before  the  Chui'ch  Missionary  Societj' 


482  MEMOIRS  OF 

♦*  for  his  soul's  health  and  eternal  good.  The  Church  may 
*•  mourn  indeed  for  Venn  and  Robinson.  Let  us  be  follow- 
**  ers  of  them,  who  through  faith  and  patience  have  inherit- 
*'  ed  the  promises  !" 

"  July  7th. 

*«  I  enclose  an  additional  paragraph  for  tiic  Remarks.  Mr. 
•*  Lushington  having  declared  so  gravely,  that  i  had  recom- 
**  mended  the  Hindoos  to  be  converted  hy  force ,  perhaps  it 
•*  would  be  right  to  advert  to  a  matter,  which  I  had  never 
*•  thought  it  worth  my  while  to  notice  before, 

<•  I  hope  now  to  give  you  no  further  trouble.  It  must  be 
"  a  great  relief  to  you  when  Parliament  and  their  India 
**  questions  break  up  for  good ;  and  I  should  be  glad  to  hear 
**  that  you  had  gone  for  a  while  to  the  Isle  of  Wight; 
«•'  whence,  as  from  a  safe  haven,  you  might  look  back  on  th© 
<*  tumultuous  sea  you  have  navigated." 

"  July  24. 

<•  I  congratulate  you  sincerely  on  the  issue  of  your  cam- 
"  paign ;  far  more  interesting  to  thousands,  than  that  of 
"  Lord  Wellington. 

**  And  now  we  are  likely  to  be  all  disgraced.  Parliament 
*<  has  opened  the  door,  and  who  is  there  to  go  in  ?  From  the 
*•  Church  not  one  man  !  Lord  C.  anticipated  this  deiioument 
<*  in  a  very  pleasant  vein.  We  may  hope  that  the  Church 
**  Missionary  Society  will  excite  a  new  spirit  in  various  pla- 
"  ces.  And  we  must  believe,  that  the  late  great  national 
<•'  movement,  in  behalf  of  Clirist  and  his  kingdom,  will  have 
*<  a  reward  in  the  fruits  of  righteousness  within  the  year." 

The  labours,  however,  of  Dr.  Buclianan  in  this  great 
cause  were  not  yet  completed.  In  the  course  of  the  debates 
in  the  House  of  Commons,  upon  the  question  of  allowing 
efforts  to  be  made  by  pious  and  benevolent  persons  to  pro- 
mote Christianity  in  India,  his  name  and  his  writings  were 
introduced  by  several  of  the  Anglo-Indian*  opposers  of  that 
measure,  in  terms  which  can  scarcely  be  excused  even  on 

a  Particularly  by  Sir  Henry  Montgoraery  and  Mr.  Lushington ;  the  latter  of 
whom  did  not,  however,  vote  against  the  resolution. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  483 

the  ground  of  their  own  sincere,  tliough  mistaken,  appre- 
hensions of  the  suhject.  He  was  represented  by  these  gen- 
tlemen as  the  calumniator  of  the  Hindoos,  and  as  having 
given  to  the  world  a  false,  or  at  least  an  exaggerated,  state- 
ment of  tlieir  cruel  and  immoral  superstitions.  They,  on  the 
contrary,  wished  the  House  and  the  public  to  believe,  upon 
the  authority  of  their  alleged  local  knowledge,  that  the  Hin- 
doos, though  idolaters,  and  enslaved  by  a  blind  and  corrupt 
xSuperstition,  were  still  a  very  harmless  and  moral  race  of 
people;  and,  in  support  of  the  excellence  of  the  Bralimini- 
cal  system,  quoted  a  variety  of  passages  from  the  Heetopades, 
and  other  Hindoo  books,  to  prove  what  pure  and  exalted 
sentiments  they  entertained  of  the  Supreme  Being,  and  of 
the  great  duties  of  morality.  Witnesses,  however,  without 
end,  possessing  more  than  all  the  boasted  local  information 
of  these  gentlemen,  from  Mr.  Holwell  to  Sir  William  Jones, 
Lord  Teignmouth,  and  Sir  James  Mackintosh,  liad  already 
convinced  every  calm  and  unprejudiced  inquirer,  that,  what- 
ever may  be  the  speculative  merit  of  their  sacred  books,  or 
the  social  virtues  of  individuals,  both  the  religious  system 
and  the  moral  practice  of  the  Hindoos  in  general  were,  wliat 
we  might  be  certain,  from  abstract  principles  as  well  as  uni- 
versal experience,  the  heathen  ever  must  be,  *»  corrupt, 
"  abominable,  and  unto  every"  really  "  good  work  repro- 
^«  bate."  And  it  would,  in  fact,  be  quite  as  practicable  and 
as  just,  to  charge  the  sacred  writers  themselves  in  their  de- 
scriptions of  tlie  idolaters  of  Greece  and  Rome,  however 
distinguished  for  their  advancement  in  learning  and  the 
arts,  with  exaggeration  and  uncharitableness,  as  the  repre- 
sentations of  Dr.  Buchanan,  on  a  similar  painful  and  de- 
plorable subject. 

It  happened,  in  the  course  of  the  examination  of  evidence 
upon  the  India  question  before  t!ie  House  of  Commons,  tliat 
Dr.  Buchanan's  Memorial  to  Lord  Minto  in  the  year  1S07. 
together  with  the  reply  of  the  Bengal  government  to  tliat 
paper,  and  the  observations  of  the  Court  of  Directors  on 
]>ot{i.  were  exhibited,  and  afterwards  printed  by  order  of 
the.  House.     The  account  sjiven  bv   Dr.  Buclianan  of  llie 


484  MEMOIRS  OF 

atrocities  of  the  idol-worsliip  at  Juggernaut  was  also  oppo- 
sed and  attempted  to  be  invalidated  by  Mr.  C.  Buller,  M.  P. 
for  West  Looc,  in  a  way  wliicli  will  shortly  be  stated. 

The  unfounded  allegations  of  the  gentlemen  first  named 
wer^*  generously  re})el!cd  by  Mr.  Wilberforce,  in  one  of  his 
admirable  speeches  in  the  House,  in  the  following  terms. 

'*  It  is  unwillingly  that  I  bring  in  the  name  of  one  other 
<*  person  ;  I  mean  Dr.  Buchanan:  but  I  should  be  extreme- 
•*  ly  wanting  in  llie  office  and  feelings  of  friendship,  did 
<*  I  not  take  this  opportunity  of  vindicating  the  character  of 
"  that  excellent  man.  The  other  night,  the  House  will  re- 
^«  member,  that  it  was  stated  by  a  friend  near  me,  (Mr.  W. 
**  Smith.)  that  I  had  not  mentioned  a  single  fact  or  proposi- 
"  tion  on  the  authority  of  Dr.  Buchanan.  This,  however, 
^*  was  not  because  Dr.  Buchanan  was  no  authority  with  me; 
*<  but  because  I  knew  there  was  a  great,  but  most  unjust 
•»  outcry  raised  against  him  :  as,  indeed,  it  was  natural  to 
'(  expect  there  would  be  against  any  man  who  had  endea- 
*•  voured,  with  his  zeal,  to  draw  tlie  public  attention  to  this 
«  great  cause.  Thinking,  therefore,  that  my  facts  would  be 
••more  readily  admitted,  if  1  supported  them  by  other  less 
♦«  obnoxious  names,  I  did  not  mention  the  name  of  Dr.  Bu- 
»i  chanan,  althougli  !iis  testimony  would  have  corroborated 
"  all  I  said.  But  I  should  not  do  justice  to  my  sentiments, 
•<  if  I  did  not  say,  that  I  feel  Dr.  Buchanan  to  be  a  man  who 
••'  deserves  to  be  spoken  of  in  a  very  different  way  from  that 
«*  in  which  some  gentlemen  have  chosen  to  mention  his 
'f  name.  Lord  Wellesley  selected  Dr.  Buchanan  to  be  Vice- 
•<  Provost  of  the  college  of  Calcutta;  and  be  says  of  him — 
<•  <  I  have  formed  the  highest  expectations  from  his  abilities, 
"  learning,  temper,  and  morals  ;'  if,  therefore,  I  think  most 
<«  highly  of  Dr.  Buclianan,  as  1  certainly  do,  I  am  not  alone 
*i  in  thinking  well  of  him.  And  let  me  here  remind  the  honour- 
"  able  member,  tliat  Dr.  Buchanan  did  not,  at  least,  act  like  a 
*'  man  who  wished  to  deceive  the  public,  and  to  obtain  their 
"  assent  to  a  false  proposition  ;  for  Dr.  Buchanan  published 
<^  that  very  work,  which  states  most  fully  and  particularly 
<^^  all  the  great  circumstances  of  Hindoo  enormity,  while  he 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  485 

«*  yet  resided  in  Bengal,  and  the  book  was  in  circulation 
"  there  a  year  or  two  before  he  quitted  that  country.  He 
<•  himself  presented  to  the  supreme  government  of  India  a 
<<  copy  of  this  work ;  I  nipan  his  Memoir  in  favour  of  an  Ec- 
"  clesiastieal  Establishment  for  India ;  by  wiiich  he  drew  as 
<*  much  attention  to  the  subject  as  he  could,  and,  at  least, 
"  manifested  his  desire  that  the  real  truth  should  be  ascer- 
*^  tained.  And  in  justice  to  Dr.  Buchanan,  I  must  observe, 
<*^that,  notwithstanding  the  unjust  and  illiberal  aspersions 
*<  which  have  been  thrown  out  in  a  general  way  against  him, 
"  I  have  never  yet  heard  him  distinctly  charged  with  any 
^<  specific  mistatement  of  any  fact  which  he  has  brought  for- 
««  ward." 

To  Mr.  Lushington  and  Sir  Henry  Montgomery,  Dr.  Bu- 
chanan wrote  privately  in  vindication  of  his  sentiments  re- 
specting the  Hindoos.  A  copy  of  his  letter  to  the  former 
gentleman  is  here  introduced,  not  merely  for  the  purpose  of 
defence  and  explanation,  for  this  is  by  no  means  necessary, 
but  to  shew  his  exemplary  mildness  and  forbearance  under 
violent  and  undeserved  reproach. 

"  Kirby  Hall,  Borobridge,  29lli  June,  1813. 

'^  Sir, 

*'  I  do  myself  the  honour  to  address  you  for  a  moment,  in 
<*  consequence  of  my  having  been  informed  that,  on  a  late 
"  occasion  in  the  House  of  Commons,  you  censured  my  state- 
''  ments  concerning  India  as  being  unchristian  and  unjust ; 
<«  or  in  terms  to  that  effect.  Had  such  a  stricture  been  made 
<'  by  a  person  who  was  hostile  to  the  introduction  of  Christ- 
*«  ianity  into  India,  I  should  have  paid  no  attention  to  it ;  but 
"  coming  from  respectable  authority,  and  from  one  who  is 
<«  friendly  to  that  measure,  I  think  it  due  to  him  and  to  my- 
•'  self  to  offer  some  explanation. 

"  As  you  are  an  advocate  for  instructing  the  natives  of 
"  India,  I  must  think  that  you  approve  in  general  of  my  en- 
<*  deavour  to  give  some  account  of  the  state  of  tlie  people,  and 
•«  of  the  nature  of  their  superstition ;  for,  without  some  ac- 


186  MEMOIRS  OF 

*♦  count  of  this  kind,  how  sliould  our  nation  ever  be  excited 
*«  to  interest  itself  humanely  in  their  behalf?  I  must  believe, 
^<  then,  that  you  do  not  object  to  the  giving  such  account,  but 
**  only  that  you  disapprove  of  the  manner  in  which  it  is  done. 
«  I  am  not  conscious  that  there  is  any  thing  intemperate  in 
«  my  manner  of  writing.  Had  I  been  intemperate,  the  na- 
"  tion  would  not  have  listened  to  me.  It  remains,  then,  for 
<<  me  to  believe,  that  you  advert  to  some  insulated  facts  sta- 
"ted  by  me,  which  you  consider  untrue.  If  you  will  have 
"  the  goodness  to  refer  me  to  any  book,  or  other  respectahlc 
*<  authority,  which  plainly  invalidates  any  particular  fact,  I 
"  shall  be  happy  to  publish  the  authority  in  the  next  edition 
*'  of  my  work,  and  to  confess  my  mistake.  I  assure  you,  it 
<'  will  cost  me  no  more  to  retract  an  error  publicly  than  to 
*<  write  this  letter.  My  only  ohject  is  to  promote  the  cause 
"  of  truth  in  the  world,  by  legitimate  means.  My  own  fame 
*<  (since  all  men  possess  not  the  same  information  and  prin- 
<"*  ciples,  and  cannot  be  equally  pleased)  ought  to  be  of  little 
**  moment,  and  is,  I  hope,  a  secondary  consideration.  But 
<*Ibeg  you  will  do  me  the  justice  to  remember,  that  on 
*<  these  subjects  there  is  a  great  diversity  of  opinion,  even 
"  among  those  who  are  adverse  to  my  general  views. 
«  Scarcely  two  persons  from  two  different  parts  of  India  will 
'*  be  found,  who  will  give  the  same  account  of  what  they  have 
''*  seen  and  heard.  Nor  is  agreement  to  be  expected  in  descri- 
**  bing  the  various  nations  extending  over  three  thousand 
«  miles  of  territory.  But  as  to  those  passages  in  my  own 
"  work  which  you  characterize  as  unchristian  or  unjust,  I 
«  am  at  as  great  a  loss  to  know  which  they  are,  as  if  you 
'^  had  charged  them  with  high  treason. 

^«  I  understood  some  time  ago,  that  the  statement  in  my 
<<  publications  which  chiefly  provoked  animadversion,  was 
«  that  which  referred  to  the  burning  of  women.  But  you  are 
•«  aware  on  what  authority  1  ]>ublished  that  account ;  and,  I 
•<  presume,  you  are  informed,  that  subsequent  indubitable 
•'«  statements  yt^vy  far  exr^ncd  it,  a!id  set  this  question  en- 
^*  tirftlv  at  rest. 


^  DR.  BUCHANAN.  487 

"  Probably  you  may  have  not  heai'd,  that  a  work  lias  been 
•'<  recently  published  in  Bengal,  in  four  volumes  quarto,  en- 
•*  titled  a  History  of  the  Religion^  Manners,  and  Literature 
<*of  the  Hindoos,  which  has  been  bought  up  with  avidity  in 
"  India,  has  already  passed  through  two  editions  in  that 
*<  country,  and  is  now  publishing  at  home.  It  was  printed 
"  under  the  immediate  eye  of  the  Bengal  government,  (as 
"  you  know  it  necessarily  must  be,)  and  possesses  an  un- 
<*  questionable  authenticity  on  the  various  subjects  concern- 
«*  ing  which  it  treats.  It  takes  the  liigh  ground  of  literal 
**  translations  from  the  Hindoo  books,  recent  facts,  and  liv- 
«  ing  witnesses.  Now  this  work  not  only  confirms  my  state- 
•'•'  ments  in  almost  every  case  which  was  controverted,  but 
"  goes  far  beyond  them.  In  describing  the  atrocities  con- 
"  nected  with  the  burning  of  women,  self-devotement,  and 
"  the  impurity  of  the  Hindoo  worship,  I  find  I  have  scarcely 
*•  entered  the  vestibule.  Will  those,  then,  who  pause  at  my 
"  statements,  be  able  to  assail  this  authority  ? 

<*  There  is  another  consideration,  to  which  I  would  re- 
<^  quest  you  would  advert.  Speculative  strictures  on  the  cha- 
<*  raeter  of  the  Hindoos  constitute  a  very  inconsiderable  por- 
"  tion  of  my  writings.  In  three  publications  concerning  In- 
'•'  dia,  I  do  not  think  that  criminatory  reflections  on  the  Hin- 
<«  doo  character  in  the  abstract  would  occupy  three  pages.  I 
"  treat,  in  general,  of  entirely  diff*erent  subjects.  It  was  not 
«  till  the  other  day  that  I  was  induced  to  give  an  exposition 
"  of  a  radical  principle  of  an  impure  character  in  the  Hin- 
"  doo  worship ;  and  tliat  exposition  would  certainly  never 
<<  have  been  given,  but  for  the  statement  of  Mr.  Buller. 
"  From  his  representation  the  nation  would  have  been  left 
«  to  conclude,  that  the  indecent  emblems  on  the  temples  of 
*«  the  Hindoos  have  no  evil  effect  on  the  morals  of  the  peo- 
<«  pie.  Now  if  I  was  entirely  convinced  that  the  contrary 
<*  was  the  truth,  would  it  have  been  right  in  me  to  aid,  by 
"  my  silence,  the  promulgation  of  such  an  error? 

<^  I  would  flatter  myself,  that  when  you  have  read  this 
••'  letter,  you  will  be  disposed  to  consider  the  object  of  my 


4S8  MEMOIRS  OF  . 

•*  writings  iiiorc  tiivoui'ably.  There  is  a  particular  reason 
*•  why  I  \\  ish  to  obtain  from  you  an  expression  of  approba- 
'<tion." 

Here  Dr.  Buchanan  introduced  a  reference  to  the  charge 
which  he  had  received  from  the  late  Sir  Stephen  Lushing- 
ton,  on  his  going  out  to  India,  which  has  been  already  men- 
tioned in  these  Memoirs.     He  then  continues  as  follows. 

'« If  you  will  do  me  the  honour  at  your  leisure  to  look 
^<  through  my  writings,  I  think  you  will  approve  the  motives 
<«  and  general  design  ;  and  I  hope  yon  will  pardon  par- 
<^  ticular  aberrations.  If  you  do  not,  I  shall  regret  it ;  but 
"  I  bear  no  resentments  ;  and  shall  trust  that  time,  wiiich 
«*  produces  great  revolutions  in  sentiment,  will  abate,  and 
*'  not  increase,  your  unfavourable  opinion. 

**  I  have  the  honour  to  be.  Sir, 

<*  Your  most  obedient 
'  «'  and  humble  Servant, 

"  C.  Buchanan.-' 
«  To  S.  R,  Lushington,  Esq,  M.  P." 

Such  was  Dr.  Buchanan's  temperate  and  satisfactory  ad- 
dress to  Mr.  Lushington.  To  Mr.  Buller's  allegations,  he 
thought  it  necessary  to  reply  more  publicly. 

This  gentleman  perceiving  in  the  course  of  the  examina- 
tions which  took  place  in  the  House  of  Commons,  that  the 
enormities  practised  at  Juggernaut  had  made  a  deep  impres- 
sion on  the  minds  of  many  members,  deemed  it  his  duty, 
from  his  personal  and  intimate  knowledge  of  the  subject, 
with  a  view  of  effacing  that  impression,  to  address  a  letter 
to  the  Court  of  Directors  of  the  East  India  Company,  in- 
tending that  it  should  be  laid  on  the  table  of  the  House ; 
where  it  accordingly  soon  afterwards  made  its  appearance. 
Mr.  Buller's  letter  contained  a  plausible  defence  of  the  tax 
on  pilgrims  resorting  to  tlie  temple  of  the  idol  in  question, 
and  an  attempt  to  palliate  the  atrocities  alleged  by  Dr. 
Buchanan  to  be  customarily  committed  during  the  celebra- 
tion of  the  Rutt  Jattra.  Of  the  indecencies  said  to  be  exhib- 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  4S9 

ited  there,  he  professed  his  total  ignoranee.a  This  vindica- 
tion of  Jugt^ernaut  was  prohably  intended,  together  with  the 
defence  of  the  Indian  government,  to  discredit  the  testimony 
of  Dr.  Buchanan  in  tliis  particular  point,  and  thus  to  pro- 
duce a  general  distrust  of  his  statements.  The  failure  of 
this  scheme  shall  be  given  in  the  words  of  a  writer  in  a  val- 
uable periodical  publication  before  alluded  to  ;  which  nobly 
redeemed  its  pledge  given  some  years  since,  never  to  aban- 
don the  sacred  cause  of  promoting  Christianity  in  India  and 
throughout  the  world  ;  and  to  whose  pages  in  the  year  1813 
the  author  gladly  i»efers,  for  a  complete  and  masterly  view 
of  this  whole  subject. 

*<  Had  it  pleased  Providence,"  said  the  Christian  Obser- 
ver,b  "  that  the  severe  illness  with  which  Dr,  Buchanan 
"  has  recently  been  visited  had  either  deprived  the  Church 
<«  of  his  valuable  life,  or  reduced  him  to  an  incapacity  of 
•«  employing  his  pen  in  her  service,  it  would  obviously  have 
^<  been  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  have  effectually  defen- 
"  ded  him  from  this  assault.  But  while  the  pressure  of 
"  disease  confined  him  to  his  couch,  and  almost  denied  his 
*^  tongue  its  office,  the  use  of  a  hand  was  spared  to  him, 
^<  and  his  mind  retained  its  more  than  youthful  vigour.  In 
«  a  few  days  his  reply  to  Mr.  Buller  was  in  the  hands  of 
"  every  member  of  the  House  of  Commons ;  and  it  may  be 
'i  considered  as  no  unfair  presumption  that  the  reply  was 
"  complete  and  satisfactory,  that  in  the  parliamentary  dis- 
"  cussions  which  afterwards  took  place,  not  the  most  distant 
*»  allusion  was  made  to  the  letter  of  Mr.  Buller,  by  any  of 
"  his  friends,  although  it  cannot  be  doubted  that,  when  first 
"produced,  it  was  intended  to  serve  important  purposes  in 
«  debate.  We  do  not  deny  that  we  may  be  fairly  susjiected 
<^of  feelings   of  partiality   towards    Dr.  Buchanan.     Our 

a  If  Dr.  Buchanai^'s  representations  of  this  point  needed  any  support,  we  might 
resort  to  the  coincident  and  unconscious  testimony  of  the  Danish  missionaries,  par- 
ticularly that  of  Mr.  Hutteraan,  which  is  contained  in  tlie  Report  of  the  Society  for 
promoting  Christian  Knowledge  for  the  year  1762. 

h  Review  of  Buchanan's  Apology  for  Christianity  in  India,  ml,  xii.  p.  648 


490  MEiMOIRS  OF 

'*  cordial  respect  for  liis  character,  and  our  gratitude  lor 
**  the  important  services  he  has  rendered  to  the  Christian 
*'  cause,  may  very  possibly  give  a  bias  to  our  sentiments  in 
<*  his  favour.  We  think,  however,  that  Iiad  we  been  mista- 
"  ken  in  attributing  to  liis  reply  correctness  of  statement 
<*and  solidity  of  reasoning,  we  shoidd  ere  this  have  heard, 
♦*that  either  in  Parliament  or  out  of  it,  some  one  of  those 
*<  Anglo-Indians,  who  have  been  accustomed  never  to  pro- 
'<  nounce  his  name  without  some  expression  of  vituperation, 
•*  would  have  accepted  the  challenge  of  his  friends,  and  have 
••  descended  from  the  convenient  but  impotent  generality  of 
••  hard  names,  to  the  specification  of  some  particular  mis- 
»'  tatements  of  fact/' 

.  As  soon  as  Dr.  Buchanan's  reply  to  Mr.  Buller's  letter 
had  thus  produced  its  intended  effect  in  the  House  of  Com- 
mons, he  prepared  to  publish  it,  together  with  some  other 
documents,  to  the  world.  It  accordingly  appeared  in  the 
course  of  the  summer  under  the  following  title  ;  <«  An  Apo- 
•*logy  for  promoting  Christianity  in  India:  containing  two 
<*  Letters,  addressed  to  the  Honourable  East  India  Compa- 
<^  ny,  concerning  the  Idol  Juggernaut ;  and  a  Memorial  pre- 
<^  sented  to  the  Bengal  Government  in  1807,  in  defence  of 
<f  the  Christian  Missions  in  India.  Printed  by  Order  of  the 
"  Honourable  the  House  of  Commons.  To  which  are  now 
*<  added.  Remarks  on  the  Letter  addressed  by  the  Bengal 
"  Government  to  the  Court  of  Directors  in  reply  to  the  Me- 
"  morial.  With  an  Appendix,  containing  various  official  pa- 
••  pers,  chiefly  extracted  from  the  Parliamentary  Records 
••  relating  to  the  Promulgation  of  Christianity  in  India." 

This  valuable  and  interesting  volume  is  so  well  known, 
and  is  still  so  accessible,  that  it  would  be  unnecessary  to  do 
more  in  this  place  than  refer  those  who  may  be  desirous  of 
investigating  the  important  subjects  of  which  it  treats,  to 
the  perusal  of  its  various  contents.  Two  passages,  how- 
*  ever,  deserve  to  be  extracted.  One  is  from  the  close  of  the 
first  letter  to  the  Court  of  Directors ;   and  is  worthy,  as  it 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  49 j 

has  been  justly  observed,  of  so  distinguished  a  combatant  in 
tliis  field  of  saered  warfare. 

*<  The  annual  waste  of  human  life,   from  the  causes  that 

'^  have  been   mentioned,  in  the  territories  under  the  domi- 

<*  nion  of  the  Honourable  the  East  India  Company,  is  a  sub- 

"  ject  of  appalling  contemplation.     Every  friend  of  humani- 

"  ty  must  be  often  putting  the  question,  Is  this  scene  to  con- 

•^^  tinue  for  ever?   Can  there  be  no  melioration  of  human  ex- 

"  istence  in  India?    Are  there  no  means  of  mitigating  the 

"  anguish  of  reflection  in  England,  when  we  consider  that 

"  the  desolations  of  Juggernaut  exist  under  our  govern- 

^*  ment  ?    Yes,  we  answer,  tliere  are  means.    We  have  seen 

"  with  what  avidity  the  holy  Scriptures  are  received  by  the 

*^  pilgrims.     These  pilgrims  come  from  every  part  of  India ; 

<'  some  from  Cabul,  a  distance  of  sixteen   hundred   miles, 

"  and  some  from   Samarchand.    They  are  the  representa- 

*<  tives  of  a  population,  amounting,  as  we  have  seen,  to  ^  two 

"  hundred  millions.'    They  are  of  every  caste,  and  many  of 

«*  them  of  no  caste  at  all.     The  Bible  is,  by  the  inscrutible 

<<  providence  of  God,  at  hand :  it  has  been  translated  into 

"  the  languages  of  India.     Would  it  not,  then,  be  worthy  of 

"  the  East  India  Company  to  order  ten  thousand  copies  to 

''  be  distributed  annually  at  Juggernaut,  in  any  manner  that 

««  prudence  would  justify  and  experience  direct,  as  a  sacred 

"  return  for  the  revenue  we  derive  from  it,  if  it  should  be 

"  thought  right  that  that  revenue  should  still  be  continued  ? 

"  The  Scriptures  would  thus  be  carried  to  the  extremities 

'«  of  India   and  the  East.     Is  it  possible  that  the  shadow  of 

*«  an  objection  should  arise  against  such  a  measure,  innoxi- 

^<  ous,  as  it  is  humane  and  heavenly,  in  its  tendency  ?    Are 

"  we  afraid  that  *  the  wretches  who  come  to  lay  their  bones 

"  within  the  precincts  of  Juggernaut'  would   mutiny  and 

<«  take  atvay  our  dominion  ?     Would  not  the  consequence  be 

^<  rather,  that  ^  the  blessing  of  Him  that  was  ready  to  perish' 

"  would  rest  upon  you  ?" 

The  other  passage  which  it  may  be  right  to  quote  from 
the  volume  in  question,  is  the  following  general  defence  by 
Dr.  Buchanan  of  his  Memorial  to  Lord  Minto,  with  which 


^9g  MEMOIRS  OF 

the  Bengal  Government  was  so  much  offended,  and  wliich 
did  not  escape  the  more  gentle  reprehension  of  the  Court  of 
Directors. 

"  Of  the  accuracy  of  the  facts  stated  in  the  Memorial,  I 
<<  think  there  can  be  little  doubt.  I  challenged  inquiry  bc- 
*•  fore  I  left  Calcutta;  but  tiie  government  did  not  think  it 
**  necessary  to  investigate  tliem.  They  wrote  their  Letter 
<*  to  the  Court  of  Directors  while  I  was  yet  on  the  spot, 
»<  without  communicating  their  sentiments  to  me  in  any 
*«  manner,  although  I  was  on  terms  of  personal  civility  with 
«  every  member  of  the  administration ;  and  they  sent  the 
"  letter  home  without  my  knowledge  by  the  same  fleet  which 
"  conveyed  myself,  Nor  did  I  ever  see  it,  until  it  was  re- 
<<  cently  printed  by  order  of  the  Honourable  the  House  of 
"  Commons. 

<*  The  second  remark  I  would  make  refers  to  the   charge 

*' « disrespect'  which  is  preferred  against  me,  in  the  letter 

<«  alluded  to,  for  addressing  government  at  all  on  the  sub- 

**  ject ;  and  to  which  they  frequently  revert  witli  lively  sen- 

*<  sibility.     I  am  not  at  all  anxious  about  self-justification  in 

'<  this  matter,  except  as  the  honour  of  religion  may  be  con- 

^'cerned  :  and  I  hope  little  personal  feeling  will  be  visible  in 

*'  these  Remarks.    But  in  regard  to  the  charge  in  question, 

*'  I  only  request  that  the  Bengal  government  will  look  back 

•«  to  the  transaction,  and  survey  the  nature  of  the  subject 

''  and  the  circumstances  in   which   I  stood.    Let  them  say 

*^  whether  I  had  any  personal  interest  in  the  cause  at  issue. 

<<  Did  I  address  government  for  my  own  advantage?    Was 

"  it  to  recommend  myself  to  the  favour  of  the  Court  of  Di- 

"  rectors  when  I  returned  home  ?    No.     It  was  not  my  own 

<«  cause,  but  that  of  Revealed  Religion,  which  I  maintained. 

<«  Christianity  had  been  dishonoured.    Its  teachers  were  op- 

<<  pressed  and  silenced ;  and  there  was  nobody  to  appear  for 

"  the  truth.    I  stood  for  a  moment  the  representative  of 

*<  ^  Him  who  is  higher  than  the  highest.'   And  is  this  to  be 

"  denominated  disrespect ;  especially  when  the  words  of  my 

<«  Address   are  perfectly   respectful?    I  think  that  in  the 

♦<  judgment  of  candour  and  of  enlightened  minds,  it  will  be 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  49^ 

*•  thought  that  I  barely  did  my  duty.  The  public  voice  in 
« the  settlement  of  Calcutta  was  certainly  in  my  favour ; 
"  for  the  proceedings  against  tlie  missionaries  were  very 
•^  generally  condemned.'* 

It  will  now  be  necessary  to  return  to  the  more  private  his- 
(ory  of  Dr.  Buchanan,  and  for  this  purpose  to  recur  to  his 
letters  to  various  friends.  The  following  extracts  are  part- 
ly of  a  general  nature,  and  partly  refer  to  the  subjects  which 
have  been  lately  discussed. 

*<  To  Colonel  Sandy s» 

"Kirby  Hall,  July  29,  1813. 

'*  Many  thanks  to  you  for  your  letter.  The  last  eleven 
•«  years  have  indeed  been  eventful  to  you  and  me  ;  and  it  is 
'*  possible  that  the  next  eleven  (whether  in  heaven  or  earth) 
^'  will  be  equally  marvellous.  My  health,  concerning  which 
*'  you  inquire,  continues,  we  hope,  to  amend  ;  but  it  will  be 
*«  long  before  I  obtain  much  strength,  even  if  there  should 
♦<  be  no  relapse  of  paralysis,  which  can  only  be  known  to 
"  Him  who  *  said  to  the  sick  of  the  palsy.  Thy  sins  be  for- 
*<  given  thee.'  If  I  am  able,  I  must  go  up  to  Town  about  the 
*<  end  of  autumn  or  the  year,  to  superintend  the  publication 
•*  of  some  Syriac  works  which  I  have  commenced,  viz.  New 
"  Testament,  Grammar,  and  Lexicon. 

«  Since  Mrs.  Buchanan's  death  I  have  enjoyed  more  dis- 
<^  tinct  views  of  the  heavenly  state  than  I  had  before ;  and 
"  have  attained  to  more  emphasis  in  prayer.  So  far  that 
*<  event  has  been  blessed  to  me.  May  the  fruits  of  righte- 
"  ousness  grow  and  increase  to  the  end,  even  as  they  do 
«*  with  you  and  the  faithful  children  of  God  in  every  place ! 

^«  I  rejoice  to  hear  that  you  and  your  family  are  well.  As 
<«  for  the  spiritual  state  of  those  you  love,  that  must  be  for 
<^  the  trial  of  your  faith  and  hope,  even  unto  the  end.  *  Re- 
<«  member  David  and  all  his  trouble.'  Children  seldom  shew 
"  signs  of  grace  until  they  grow  up.  David  had  one  hope- 
<*  ful  son,  Solomon  ;  and  he  became  an  idolater.  What  may 
"  have  been  his  end  is  not  well  known.  But  I  think  the 
^<  Preacher  became  a  monument  of  grace. 


4^4  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  I  am  not  surprised  that  Lord —  was  sick  when  you 

♦^  addressed  a  letter  to  him  on  Cliristian  subjects.     He  is  as 

•*  remote  from  the  right  way  as  poor and .    And 

"  yet  even  these  may  be  converted  by  Him  who  made  tlie 
"  world  before  they  die." 

<'  To  Z.  Macaulay,  Esq. 

"  Kiiby  Hall,  August. 

"  I  thank  you  for  your  letter  of  the  2d  inst.  and  was  much 
**  pleased  with  your  favourable  account  of  Mr.  G's  exertions 
*«  in  the  Christian  cause.  He  gave  me  the  perusal  of  his  ad- 
*^  mirable  book  a  few  days  before  I  went  to  India  ;  and  I 
«*  know  not  whether  it  did  not  lay  some  foundation  in  my 
"  mind  for  future  investigations. 

**  I  approve  most  highly  of  your  patronizing  Dr.  John's 
♦<  plans  of  native  schools.  They  are  properly  Mr.  Swartz's 
«  plans.  See  the  defence  of  them  in  the  last  Church  Mis- 
*<  sionary  Register.  I  visited  some  of  the  schools,  patroni- 
<*  zed  by  government,  and  witnessed  their  operation.  They 
"  may  be  justly  termed  *  Mediate  Schools'  for  christianizing 
<*  the  Hindoos,  though  their  effects  be  not  immediate.  I  had 
"  the  same  plan  in  view  in  proposing  the  numerous  schools 
<«  attached  to  the  Ecclesiastical  Establishment  in  my  last 
"  work." 

'*  Kirby  Hall,  August  20. 

"  I  only  received  copies  of  the  ^  Apology'  yesterday.  The 
^<  editorial  part  reflects  great  credit  on  your  attention  ;  and 
(i  the  various  improvements  which  I  mark  in  many  places 
<«  demonstrate  your  kindness  to  me,  and  affection  for  the 
*«  cause  in  which  I  have  been  engaged. 

«  The  battle  is  now,  I  hope,  over ;  and  I  would  gladly 
«  forget  all  tliat  is  past,  and  turn  my  face  Zionward,  for  the 
*<  rest  of  my  pilgrimage. 

<«  Neither  Sir  Henry  Montgomery  nor  Mr.  L.  has  conde- 
»«  scended  (as  the  Scotch  say)  on  a  single  instance  of  mis- 
'« tatement  in  my  volumes.  As  to  what  Mr.  L.  has  alleged 
•<  which  Mr.  Smith  should  consider  not  defensiblef  I  have  not 
*<  the  smallest  idea ;  unless  it  be,  as  Home  Tooke  says, 
•«  <  eating  little  children  alive  without  being  roasted.'  " 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  495 

"  Kirby  Hall,  8th  September. 

«*  The  strange  circumstance  of  your  being  at  a  watering- 
<^  place,  doing  nothing  but  batiiing,  mounting  hills,  and  look- 
<*  ing  down  on  the  tumult  below,  induces  me  to  write  you  a 
**  few  lines  in  tlie  style  of  Pope,  that  is,  about  nothing. 
*<  What  labours  of  mind  that  man  Pope  achieved  in  doing 
"  nothing  !  And  yet  he  thought  he  did  something.  But  Ho- 
<^  race  did  as  much  as  he.  Johnson  flattered  himself  he  did 
^«  a  little  more  for  virtue  and  the  chief  good  than  the  other 
*^  two.  But,  alas  !  he,  like  they,  <  knew  not  the  way  to  the 
^«  city;'  and  in  vain  attempted  to  shew  it  to  others.  But  I 
"  am  likely  to  fail  in  writing  a  letter  in  the  style  of  Pope, 
"  and  shall  therefore  approximate  a  little  to  business. 

'<  1  had  a  letter  from lately,  accompanying  a  present 

<*  of  his  book  on  India.  He  had  been  reading  my  Apology, 
<^  and  says  he  thinks  my  tw^o  letters  to  the  Court  of  Direct- 
"  ors,  particularly  the  second,  and  my  remarks  on  the  letter 
^'  of  the  Governor  General  in  Council,  <  are  the  best  of  my 
ff  controversial  pieces.'  He  adds,  «  I  am  the  more  glad  of 
^'  this,  because  it  is  an  evidence  that  your  long  course  of  ill- 
^«  ness  has  not  affected  your  mental  powers,  whilst  it  may 
"  have  invigorated  qualities  of  a  still  more  important  kind.' 
"  It  is  certain,  however,  that  I  have  suffered  from  my  ill- 
<<  ness.  JVon  sum  qualis  eram.  Would  that  this  were  true 
"  in  the  other  sense  to  which  he  alludes  !  He  further  says, 
«*  *  Something  seems  yet  wanting  to  expose  to  the  public  the 
<*  irreligious  spirit  w  hich  has  animated  the  Anglo-Indians  in 
"  the  whole  of  this  question  of  introducing  Christianity  into 
"  the  East.' 

''  I  have  answered,  that  I  would  not  be  an  assailant  any 
"  more.  I  seek  peace  and  an  oblivion  of  past  scenes;  and 
<*  have  suggested  that  he  himself  might  probably  have  lei- 
"  sure  now  to  send  forth  a  few  pages  on  that  subject. 

" mentions  that  one  of  the  Directors,  *  who  is  now 

•^  removed  to  another  world,'  was  a  violent  enemy  of  mine. 
••  1  do  not  know  what  is  his  name ;  and  so  little  have  I  been 
<«  in  the  habit  of  inquiring  what  is  passing  abroad,  that  I  did 
^*  not  know  I  had  such  a  thing  as  a  personal  enemy  in  the 
<*  world." 


496  MEMOIRS  OF 

The  two  next  letters  were  addressed  to  Colonel  Macau- 
lay  ;  and  while  they  manifest  the  lively  interest  which  the 
writer  continued  to  feel  in  the  great  work  of  diffusing 
Christian  knowledge,  it  will  be  a  subject  of  regret  that  the 
voyage  in  question  was  not  accomplished  either  by  himself 
or  his  friend. 

"  Kirby  Hall,  24th  August,  1813. 

"  My  dear  Sir, 

"  I  was  not  a  little  pleased  to  hear  of  your  proposed  voy- 
•^  age  to  the  Mediterranean,  both  on  account  of  your  own 
<^  health,  and  of  the  advantage  which  I  doubt  not  will  accrue 
"  to  the  Christian  public.  You  will  have  opportunities  of 
"  learning  how  far,  and  to  what  extent,  the  distribution  of 
<^  the  Bible  may  be  practicable,  and  what  other  steps  we  may 
«<  take  in  regard  to  the  translation  of  the  Scriptures  and  of 
« tracts,  and  to  the  disposition  of  missionaries  in  those  re- 
*<  gions.  It  is  wonderful  that  the  places  consecrated  by  the 
*' travels  and  labours  of  the  Apostle  Paul,  should  be  yet  left 
"  in  darkness,  unexplored.  If  your  health  improve  under 
•<  that  genial  climate,  I  do  not  wish  to  see  you  home  soon. 

*^  My  own  health  continues  to  amend.  It  is  now  seven 
•«  weeks  since  I  lost  blood,  the  longest  interval  since  my  first 
<*  illness. 

''  Lord  and  Lady  L and  family  are  now  with  me. 

<<  They  are  the  zealous  promoters  of  religious  institutions  in 
"  Ireland,  and  are  returning  provided  with  new  books, 
«« tracts,  and  arguments.  They  consider  five  at  least  of 
"  their  bishops  as  being  enrolled  in  the  cause.  I  have  peti- 
«  tioned  for  two  of  them  to  countenance  the  Homily  Society. 

^«  If  I  should  have  no  return  of  illness,  I  have  thoughts  of 
^«  going  up  to  town  about  the  end  of  autumn,  and  propose  in 
66  that  case  to  call  at  Mr.  Babington's  and  Mr.  Kemp- 
"  thorne's  in  my  way.  But  by  that  time  I  presume  you  will 
6i  be  on  the  foamy  deep.  Wherever  you  are,  I  pray  that  a 
«  blessing  may  be  upon  you  till  the  end  of  your  pilgrimage ; 
"  and  remain, 

<^  My  dear  Sir, 

.  66  Very  sincerely  youi's, 
66  C.  Buchanan.'' 


DR.  BUCHANA.N.  497 

"  Kirby  Hall,  2d  September,  1813. 

*'  My  dear  Sir, 

"  I  have  been  favoured  with  your  letter,  informing  me 
<<  that  your  voyage  to  the  Mediterranean  is  just  at  hand. 
"  There  are  several  important  objects  of  research,  which  the 
*•  course  of  your  route  will  enable  you  probably  to  attend  to; 
<*  a  few  of  which  I  shall  mention,  according  to  your  desire. 

"  1.  We  hardly  know  any  thing  of  the  state  of  Christiani- 
"  ty  on  the  African  coast,  where  it  flourished  in  purity  in 
<«  the  third  and  fourth  centuries.  Hippo,  of  which  Augus- 
*•  tine  was  Bishop,  was  the  fountain-head.  It  is  close  to 
"  Carthage,  (where  the  Christian  Council  was  held,)  and 
<«  Utica,  and  Tunis ;  all  which  places  are  not  much  more 
*<  than  one  hundred  miles  from  the  Sardinian  and  Sicilian 
"  coast.  Your  message  to  the  Christians  will  be,  that  they 
<*  may  have  copies  of  the  Scriptures  from  Malta  or  England, 
"  if  they  choose  to  apply  for  them. 

«<  2.  The  Jews  inhabit  almost  every  town  on  the  African 
"shore.  The  Hebrew  Testament  will  be  soon  ready  for 
"  them. 

"  3.  The  island  of  Cyprus  is  a  grand  field  for  Christian 
"  investigation  at  this  era.  <  The  greater  part  of  the  inha- 
*<  bitants  are  Greek  Christians.  Besides  a  multitude  of 
«  Armenians,  tliere  are  here  a  great  many  Maronitest'  or 
«^  Syrian  Christians.  This  is  the  account  of  the  Abbe  Ma- 
"  riti.  He  adds,  «  The  Latins  are  far  from  being  so  nqme- 
<^  rous,  and  consist  only  of  Europeans,  and  the  brotherhood 
'« of  St.  Francis,  known  throughout  the  Levant  under  the 
"  name  of  the  Fathers  of  the  Holy  Land.' — *  There  are  very 
"  few  English  here ;  and  it  is  doubtless  for  this  reason  that 
"  they  have  neither  a  church  or  chapel,  nor  a  minister  of 
«  their  religion.  Should  they  happen  to  multiply,  they  will 
«  probably  endeavour  to  procure  all  these  things*\  This  is 
«<  from  an  Italian  priest !  I  trust  you  will  be  able  to  shew 
<«us  how  we  may  <  procure  all  these  things.' 

.     a  Mariti,  vol.  i.  p.  8, 
K  3 


^98  MEMOIRS  OF 

'<You  may  tell  the  Greek  Christians,  that  the  Greek 
•*  Testament,  is  ready  for  them  ;  and  the  Syrian  Christians, 
<«  that  the  Syriac  Testament  will  be  soon  ready  for  them. 
*<  I  go  up  to  London,  God  willing,  to  superintend  the  print- 
*<  ing  of  it,  and  of  a  Syriac  Grammar  and  Lexicon  at  the 
*<  same  time. 

**4.  It  is  said  that  two-thirds  of  the  inhabitants  of  Euro- 
'<  pean  Turkey  are  of  the  Greek,  Syriac,  Armenian,  and 
•<  Latin  Church.  A  continual  subject  of  inquiry  will  there- 
*<  fore  be,  how  many  of  these  denominations  respectively 
*<  live  in  any  particular  place,  and  how  many  copies  of  the 
•*  Greek,  Syriac,  Armenian,  (the  Bible  Society**  has  not 
»<  thought  of  the  Armenian  yet,)  and  Latin  copies  of  the 
«  Scriptures,  including  the  French  and  Italian,  may  be  re- 
«  quired  as  a  primary  supply  ?  Parcels  may  be  sent  at  a 
"  venture. 

*<  5.  An  accurate  enumeration  of  the  churches  (buildings)  is 
"  important,  throughout  every  mile  of  your  route,  beginning 
«  with  Lisbon,  Cadiz,  and  Gibraltar.  A  cluirch  is  an  ob- 
<*  ject  of  correspondence,  if  we  know  only  how  to  address 
"  the  priest  in  the  language  of  his  place. 

«<  I  consider  you  to  be  the  fittest  man  in  Great  Britain  to 
«  go  upon  a  voyage  of  Christian  discovery. 

« 1  hope  to  avail  myself  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Babington's 
«  kind  invitation,  and  to  stay  with  them  two  days  in  my 
•<  journey  up  to  London.  I  cannot  say  how  soon  I  shall  be 
«  able  to  set  out.  Again  I  follow  you  with  my  best  wishes  ; 
*<  and  remain, 

*<  My  dear  Sir, 

"  Sincerely  yours, 

**  C.  Buchanan.'^ 

Dr.  Buchanan  appears  to  have  left  Kirby  Hall  towards 
the  end  of  October.  One  of  his  first  visits  was  to  his  friend 
and  relative  the  Rev.  J.  Kempthorne,  at  Claybrook,  in  Lei- 


b  Armenian  Bibles  and  Testaments  have  since  been  printed  by  the  ThcodosiaR 
Branch  of  the  Russian  Bible  Sociefv. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  499 

cestershire  ;  the  foUowini^  account  of  which  hy  that  gentle- 
man cannot  but  be  interesting  to  tlie  reader. 

««  The  last  time,"  says  Mr.  Kempthorne,  "that  he  visit- 
«  ed  us,  which  was  in  his  way  to  Cambridge,  1  thought  him 
"  eminently  dead  to  the  world,  and,  as  it  were,  absorbed  in 
"  heavenly  things.  His  deep  domestic  afflictions  seemed  to 
"have  been  greatly  sanctified  to  him.  He  appeared  to 
"  w  atch  for  every  opportunity  of  seasoning  our  ordinary 
"  discourse  with  the  salt  of  religion.  When  we  were  speak- 
<«ing  of  Carey's  Atlas,  he  took  occasion  to  refer,  in  a 
"  solemn  and  affecting  manner,  to  the  map  of  the  heavenly 
"  city,  which  St.  John  has  given  us  in  the  Revelation. 
"  When  I  spoke  of  Bonaparte's  late  astonishing  overthrow, 
«  he  heard  it  with  compai-ative  indifference,  and  soon  ad- 
"  verted  to  the  importance  of  the  conversion  of  the  soul  to 
"  God,  as  involving  consequences  of  greater  moment  than 
"  the  fall  of  emperors  and  the  revolutions  of  the  greatest 
"  states. 

"  After  our  family  prayer,  he  with  much  kindness  and 
"  wisdom  made  some  observations  on  my  manner  of  cx- 
"  pounding  the  Scripture ;  and  after  he  left  me,  he  called 
"  on  a  common  friend,  and  faithfully  expressed  his  fears 
"  respecting  the  safety  of  his  spiritual  state. 

"  Yet  I  have  heard  a  piously  disposed  person,  who  saw 
<<  more  of  his  domestic  habits,  regret,  that  his  conversation, 
"  which  was  highly  edifying,  w  hen  he  was  called  forth  by 
"  pious  visitors,  was  not  more  frequently  and  decidedly  spir- 
^'itual  in  his  own  family  circle. 

"  With  what  exquisite  sensibility  of  conscience  does  he 
"  himself  lament  this  in  his  private  reflections  after  his 
^«  second  wife's  most  distressing  removal  from  him  !" 

On  the  3d  of  November,  Dr.  Buchanan  wrote  to  one  of 
his  friends  from  Cambridge  as  follows.  The  remark  in  this 
letter  respecting  a  motto  which  he  had  assumed,  shews  his 
readiness  to  receive  any  suggestion  respecting  his  conduct, 
even  on  slight  and  unimportant  matters. 

*«  I  have  been  favoured  with  your  kind  letter.  I  liad 
"  lieard  of  the  ninth  babe  at  Rothley.     May  tha  dew  of 


500  MEMOIRS  OF 

**  "od's  blessing  descend  on  your  increasing  family,  and 
"  make  you  all  heirs  of  glory  ! 

'*  As  soon  as  I  had  read  your  observations  on  the  motto, 
**  I  sent  for  a  carriage-painter,  and  erased  it.  We  have 
<«  had  it  nearly  four  years,  and  1  never  heard  a  word  con- 
"  cerning  its  peculiarity. 

**  I  have  experienced  very  general  and  more  than  ordi- 
*«  nary  civilities  from  the  members  of  the  University, 
**  particularly  from  the  Bishop  of  Bristol.  His  Lordship 
"  introduced  me  to  his  family,  as  the  man  from  whose  books 
•<  he  and  they  had  derived  much  instruction.  He  and  Lord 
"  Hardwicke  were  sitting  together  at  Trinity  Lodge  when 
<*  I  called,  reading  my  letter  to  the  Court  of  Directors  res- 
"  pecting  Mr.  Bulier,  not  knowing  that  the  Apology  had 
<•  been  published  si)jc%  It  seems  the  book  has  been  so 
<*  little  advertised,  that  Dr.  Jowett  had  not  heard  of  it  till 
^*  the  review  in  the  last  Christian  Observer  appeared* 
"There  is  not  a  single  copy  of  it,  or  of  the  Colonial  Estab- 
"lishment,  at  a  bookseller's  in  Cambridge.  The  Bishop 
"  and  his  friends  partake  of  the  spirit  which  animates  you 
«  concerning  Juggernaut. 

*<  I  expect  to  be  in  London  soon,  when  I  hope  to  have  the 
*«  pleasure  of  seeing  you.  Your  last  letter  proves  that  you 
♦<  are  as  desirous  I  should  be  without  spot  as  yourself.'* 

Dr.  Buchanan  appears  to  have  stayed  about  ten  days  at 
Cambridge,  and  then  to  have  proceeded  to  London,  where 
he  was  chiefly  occupied  in  his  preparations  for  the  Syriac 
New  Testament.  During  his  stay  in  town,  he  wrote  the 
following  letter  to  his  daughters. 

"22d  Nov.  1813. 

<*  My  dear  Charlotte  and  Augusta, 

<*  I  return  you  many  thanks  for  your  letter.  I  am  happy 
« to  hear  that  you  are  both  in  good  health ;  and  I  doubt 
"  not  you  are  both  making  a  due  proficiency  in  your  studies. 

<*  I  am  very  much  pleased,  Charlotte,  with  your  proposal 
<<  to  give  five  shillings  to  the  West  Indian  Mission,  which  I 
•<*  shall  do  when  I  find  the  treasurer  of  the  Society. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  501 

« I  sympathize  with  you,  Augusta,  on  the  death  of  tlie 
*«  pretty  bird,  Cherry,  But  our  grief  is  in  vain.  Its  spirit 
«  will  never  return.  But  when  Augusta's  spirit  takes  the 
♦<  wing,  it  will  live  for  ever ;  and  those  who  loved  her  on 
«  earth  will  once  more  love  her  in  heaven,  if  she  and  they 
<«  prove  worthy  of  eternal  life.  Cherry,  it  seems,  was  sing- 
*'  ing  a  few  minutes  before  its  death.  So,  oftentimes,  does 
"  the  Christian  sing  and  exult  in  spirit  at  the  thought  of 
<«  putting  off  the  veil  of  flesh,  and  entering  on  the  confines 
*<  of  immortality.  May  you  and  Charlotte,  after  you  have 
i*  accomplished  God's  will  on  earth,  be  enabled  to  sing  your 
<^  dying  hymns ! 

"  I  may  probably  send  your  work-boxes,  together  with 
"  your  Virgils,  by  the  coach  to  Borobridge,  before  I  return 
"  myself. 

«*  Remember  me  kindly  to  Augusta;  and  believe  me  to 
"  be,  my  dear  Charlotte, 

<«  Your  affectionate  Father, 
"  C.  Buchanan." 

In  December,  Dr.  Buchanan  returned  to  Cambridge, 
where  he  was  diligently  employed,  not  only  in  the  learned 
work  which  he  had  undertaken,  but  in  preparing  an  Ad- 
dress, the  occasion  of  which  will  be  shortly  stated.  Of  this, 
and,  as  it  proved,  his  last  visit  to  the  University,  his 
friend  Colonel  Sandys,  who  came  from  Cornwall  to  meet 
him,  gives  the  following  brief  but  edifying  account. 

«<  I  found  my  friend  the  most  interesting  Christian, 

"  while  residing  in  the  tower  of  Erasmus,  at  Queen's  coi-* 
•<  lege,  the  winter  before  last ;  where  I  passed  my  even- 
"ings  with  him  while  busily  employed  on  the  Syriac 
<<  version. 

«  Here  the  learned  divine  was,  as  it  were,  absorbed  in 
*«  the  humble  follower  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  and  here 
•<  he  disclosed  to  me  those  views  of  his  faith,  which  I  found 
<<  beneficial  to  my  own  soul.  His  whole  dependence  was 
*<  upon  Christ,  for  wisdom,  righteousness,  sanctification,  and 
•*  redemption  !" 


50S  MEMOIRS  OF 

The  Dean  of  Carlisle  speaking  of  the  same  period  thus 
observes. 

**  I  saw  a  good  deal  of  him  during  the  last  months  of  his 
«^  residence  at  Queen's  college ;  at  which  time  his  constitu- 
<«  tion  appeared  to  have  suffered  exceedingly ;  yet  not  so 
*<  mucli  as  to  induce  one  to  predict  a  speedy  dissolution. 

<'He  was  to  the  very  last  most  indefatigable  in  his  inqui- 
«  ries  after  eastern  knowledge. 

<«  You  know  how  very  entertaining  and  instructive  he 
*<  has  made  the  printed  reports  of  his  travels  and  interviews 
"with  extraordinary  persons:  1  had  the  good  fortune  to 
<«  hear  many  of  the  same  things  from  his  own  mouth." 

From  Cambridge  Dr.  Buchanan  wrote  to  his  eldest 
daughter  as  follows. 

«  Queen's  College,  3lst  Dec.  ISIS. 

^«  My  dear  Charlotte, 

*'  I  am  extremely  concerned  to  hear  of  this  accident  to 
«  Mrs.  Thompson,  and  accompanied  with  pain  too.  Tell 
^«  her  I  truly  sympathize  with  her.  But,  when  we  consider 
"  it  in  another  point  of  view,  we  must  not  call  it  an  accident, 
«  which  you  know  means  literally  that  which  falls  out  by 
<«  chance  ;  fur  nothing  comes  from  God  by  chance.  We 
<«  must  view  it  as  an  evil  permitted  for  some  great  good. 
"  I  am  pleased  to  see  your  assiduity  during  her  confinement. 
<«  I  am  also  pleased,  my  dear  Charlotte,  that  you  have  pre- 
«  sented  yourself  at  the  table  of  the  Lord.  Your  emotion 
«  on  that  occasion  was  very  natural.  I  trust  you  will  hence- 
«<  forward  reap  the  spiritual  fruits,  and  proceed  in  the  way 
«  of  the  Lord  rejoicing. 

<«  I  bog  you  will  present  to  your  grandpapa  and  grand- 
«  mamma,  Augusta,  and  all  the  family,  my  affectionate  con- 
«  gratulations  on  the  new  year. 

•«  I  pray  that  it  may  be  a  year  of  temporal  and  spiritual 
<<  blessing  to  you  all. 

^<  I  do  not  go  forth  to  visits  yet,  as  the  Charge  I  am  com- 
«  posing  is  not  finished.  I  must  send  it  to  London  on  Tues- 
««day  next. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  503 

«  I  fully  enter  into  your  feelings  on  your  first  alarm,  lest 
•«  Mrs.  T.  should  have  been  taken  from  you.  But  you  see 
<«  she  is  yet  spared  to  you  ;  for  althougli  you  are  not  her  na- 
"  tural  daughter,  1  hope  you  maintain  and  pray  for  a  higher 
*<  relation.  There  is  nothing  durable  and  eternal  but  that 
"  union  which  is  from  Christ.  Friendship,  or  relationship 
'*  by  blood,  except  growing  on  this  foundation,  will  soon  die. 
"  I  remain, 

''  My  dear  Charlotte, 

"  Your  affectionate  Father, 

<'  C.  Buchanan." 

The  employment  which  divided  the  time  and  attention  of 
Dr.  Buchanan  with  Syriac,  during  his  residence  at  Cam- 
bridge, was  the  composition  of  a  Charge,  to  be  delivered, 
at  the  request  of  the  Church  Mission  Society,  to  the  Rev. 
Messrs.  Greenwood  and  Norton,  clergymen  of  the  Establish- 
ed Church,  proceeding  as  missionaries  to  the  island  of  Cey- 
lon ;  and  to  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Schnarre  and  Rhenius,  minis- 
ters of  the  German  Lutheran  Church,  proceeding  in  the 
same  sacred  character  to  the  coast  of  Coromandel. 

The  readiness  with  which  the  Court  of  Directors  of  the 
East  India  Company  granted  the  requisite  license  to  these 
pious  men  to  proceed  to  the  objects  of  their  destination,  was 
a  proof  of  the  benefits  resulting  from  the  late  solemn  legisla- 
tive recognition  of  the  duty  of  Great  Britain  with  respect  to 
the  diffusion  of  Christianity  in  its  eastern  empire;  and  the 
selection  of  Dr.  Buchanan  to  address  these  oriental  mission- 
aries was  equally  judicious  and  appropriate. 

The  rapidity  with  whicli  this  admirable  Charge  to  them 
was  composed,  and  the  various  information  and  important 
advice  which  it  contained,  proved  the  vigour  of  its  author's 
understanding  and  judgment;  while  the  pure  and  fervent 
piety  which  breathes  in  every  page  manifests  the  maturity 
of  the  advanced  Christian. 

The  Charge  itself  comprises  an  exposition  of  that  with 
which  our  Lord  s<Mit  forth  his  Apostles  to  preach  the  Gospel. 
It  forms,  in  fact,  a  manual  of  sound  wisdom  and  instruction: 


504.  MEMOIRS  OF 

and  deserves  to  be  frequently  perused  and  thoroughly  di- 
gested by  every  one  who  aspires  to  the  character  and  office 
of  a  missionary.  Like  the  former  productions  of  Dr.  Bu- 
chanan, this  address  contains  much  important  and  interest- 
ing information;  and,  though  primarily  intended  for  the 
missionary,  may  be  read  with  much  advantage  by  every 
minister  of  the  Gospel,  and  by  every  private  Christian. 
The  following  extracts  will  afford  a  brief  specimen  of  the 
spirit  and  tendency  of  the  whole. 

Speaking  of  the  periodical  accounts  which  the  missiona- 
ries would  be  expected  to  give  of  their  labours.  Dr.  Buchan- 
an introduced  the  following  important  caution. 

<«  Let  every  page  which  you  write  be  consecrated  by  sa- 
"  cred  truth.  Beware  of  that  powerful  self-deception,  whose 
«« operation  is  sometimes  commensurate  with  a  man's  zeal 
"  for  his  object,  which  leads  him  to  deceive  for  God's  sake, 
<^  and  to  do  partial  evil,  under  the  hope  and  plea  that  great 
«  good  may  come.  If  you  would  keep  at  a  remote  distance 
<«  from  such  a  temptation,  avoid  amplification  and  embeliish- 
'i  ment  in  what  makes  for  the  credit  and  honour  of  your 
"  personal  labours,  or  of  those  of  your  fellow-missionaries. 
<«  Like  great  generals,  who  recount  their  victories  in  few 
«^  words,  let  a  modesty  of  description  characterize  your  spi- 
*<  ritual  trophies." 

After  pointing  out  in  a  faithful  and  striking  manner  the 
various  ways  in  which  a  minister,  whether  at  home  or 
abroad,  may  deny  Christ,  Dr.  Buchanan  thus  continued. 

"  My  brethren,  you  may  preach  to  the  Hindoos,  and  say, 
"  '  Repent,  and  be  converted  ;'  while,  at  the  same  time,  in- 
•«  dolence,  or  avarice,  or  sensual  passion,  seizes  your  own 
«  souls,  and  you  are  quite  indifferent  about  their  repentance 
<<  or  conversion,  except  as  it  adds  to  your  own  interest,  or 
ii  the  fame  of  your  mission. 

«  Some  who  have  preceded  you,  and  have  been  solemnly 
«  designated  to  the  sacred  work,  have  fallen  away.  They 
««  declined  from  sound  doctrine,  or  they  were  seduced  from 
"  pureness  of  living;  and,  instead  of  doing  the  work  of  an 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  505 

^<  Evans^elist,  they  have  lived  an  useless  burthen  on  the  so- 
"  ciet}  which  supjmried  tliem. 

<^  I  mention  these  thin,^s  to  warn  you.  But  I  have  more 
« pleasure  in  directing  your  view  to  other  servants  of 
^«  Christ,  whose  brii^ht  example  has  illumined  the  East, — 
*<  who  have  been  patterns  of  faith,  diligence,  prudence,  and 
«<  fortitude.  From  the  ministers  of  the  two  Churches  to 
<'  which  you  respectively  belong,  I  shall  select  two  illustri- 
«  oils  characters,  who  have  left  a  great  example  for  them 
"  that  follow.  I  mean  the  venerable  Swartz,  of  the  Luther- 
«  an  Church,  and  the  late  Rev.  David  Brown,  of  the  Church 
*'  of  England.  These  men  did  not  deny  Christ.  They  did 
**  not  love  father  or  mother  more  than  Christ.  They  took 
«  up  their  cross,  and  followed  Christ.  If  you  knew,  as  well 
<<  as  I  do,  the  conflicts  which  they  were  called  upon  to  sus- 
"  tain  in  the  East,  you  would  see  how  fitly  the  w^ords  of  our 
<«  Lord  might  be  applied  to  them :  *  Behold,  1  send  you  forth 
•*  as  lambs  among  wolves.  But,  beware  of  men.'  If  you 
*<  knew,  again,  the  conjoined  wisdom  and  innocence  which 
«« they  manifested  in  these  conflicts,  you  would  acknowledge 
"  that  they  studied  to  obey  our  Lord's  admonition  ;  ^  Be  ye 
"  wise  as  serpents,  and  harmless  as  doves.'  The  character 
«  of  both  was  marked  by  an  extraordinary  liberality  of  sen- 
s' timent  in  regard  to  the  diff'erences  in  religious  profession ; 
«  a  liberality,  which  others,  in  a  confined  sphere,  could  not 
«  well  understand.  In  a  word,  they  endured  unto  the  end; 
*«  and  both  of  them  w^ere  enabled  to  glorify  God  in  their 
'«  deaths,  by  the  manifestation  of  a  joyful  hope  in  the  view 
"  of  their  dissolution. 

«  I  have  thought  that  this  short  record  of  these  good  men 
<<  would  find  a  proper  place  in  an  address  to  young  niinis- 
«  ters  who  are  in  your  circumstances.  *  Be  ye  also  follow- 
<«  ers  of  them,  who,  through  faith  and  patience,  have  inhe- 
«  rited  the  promises  !'  " 

The  Appendix  to  this  excellent  Charge  contains  some 
notices  of  the  last  hours  of  his  late  valued  friend  and  col- 
league, Mr.  Brown,  which  serve  to  illustrate  the  heavenly 
and  devoted  mind  of  that  excellent  man. 


506  MEMOIRS  OF 

The  health  of  Dr.  Buehanan  rendering  it  impracticable 
for  him  to  deliver  his  charge  to  the  missionaries  personally, 
that  office  was  assigned  to  an  eloquent  friend,  who  did  ample 
justice  to  the  composition.  On  the  7th  of  January,  it  was 
accordingly  addressed  to  them  before  a  general  meeting  of 
the  Church  Mission  Society,  and  was  heard  with  a  degree 
of  attention  and  interest  which  appeared  to  promise  the  hap- 
piest effects  from  its  author's  exertions. 

It  is  to  the  circumstances  which  have  been  just  related, 
that  some  parts  of  the  following  extracts  from  letters  to  Co- 
lonel and  Mr.  Macaulay  refer. 

"  Queen's  College^  3d  January,  1814. 

"  I  have  sent  by  to-night's  mail  to  Mr.  Pratt  thirty -three 
•<  pages  of  a  Charge  to  be  delivered  to  the  missionaries  on 
•<  Friday  next.  As  I  am  quite  unfit  to  go  up  myself,  I  have 
*«  requested  Mr.  Dealtry  to  read  the  paper  for  me.  He  may 
<«  select  such  parts  as  he  thinks  best  for  the  occasion. 

<*  Dr.  Milner  approves  of  the  passage  upon  *  deiiying 
*«  Christ;'  but  I  do  not  know  what  others  may  think  of  it." 

"  Queen's  College,  7th  January. 

"  The  Bishop  of  Chester  has  expressed  his  wish  that  I 
•«  would  retain  the  curacy  of  Great  Ouseburn,  which  I  was 
•*  about  to  resign,  under  the  impression  that  I  could  not  con- 
"  scientiously  accept  a  license  (under  the  ne^v  act)  as  a  re- 
"  sident  curate,  when  it  was  notorious  that  I  am  not  resi- 
<<  dent.  But  the  Bishop  is  persuaded  that  the  duties  of  the 
<<  parish  will  be  performed  to  his  entire  satisfaction  by  my- 
<*  self  or  by  my  direction.  His  diocese  extends  to  our  pa- 
<'  rish. 

«  I  inhabit  Erasmus's  rooms.  They  are  chiefly  remark- 
«  able  for  an  immense  corkscrew^  about  a  third  of  a  yard 
•<  long,  which  tradition  assigns  to  that  eminent  scholar." 

"  Queen's  College,  13th  January. 

<<  My  dear  Sir, 
*•  Many  thanks  for  your  letter.  It  is  most  satisfactory.   I 
♦<  have  constructed  the  note  as  you  desired,  without  nameai 
**  or  places.    It  is  now  round   and  smooth  like  a  perfect 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  5q^ 

*'  chrysolite,  and  will  excite  many  a  smile  and  many   a 
*<  frown, 

"  I  was  smiling  to  think  what  a  fine  long  letter  I  drew 
•<  from  you.  I  see  you  can  work,  if  we  will  only  tell  yon 
*«  what  to  do. 

*«  I  entirely  approve  of  your  flitting  to  southern  regions 
•*  this  severe  weather.  I  cannot  look  out  at  the  window  on 
« the  dreary  waste  of  snow,  but  I  think  I  see  Bonaparte 
'^and  his  squadrons,  half  covered,  retreating  towards  Gog- 
^f  magog  hills.  The  thermometer  is  at  12. 
<^  Wishing  you  good  fires,  and  every  blessing, 
^«  J  remain, 

"  My  dear  Sir, 

"  Very  sincerely  yours, 

"  C.  Buchanan.'* 

"  Queen's  College,  13th  January. 

^i  It  was  indeed  somewhat  new  to  hear  strains  of  com- 
•«  mendation  from  the  lips  of  Mr.  T.  in  public.  The  whole 
<<  assembly  seem  to  have  been  in  good  humour.  The  view 
*^  of  the  four  missionaries  perhaps  melted  their  hearts ;  and 
«  the  news  of  the  allies  crossing  the  Rhine  had  just  arrived. 
^^  Mr.  Farish  says  he  enjoyed  the  occasion  exceedinglyi 

<^  I  consulted  the  college  to-day  concerning  the  proposed 
•«  admission  of  Mr.  Lee,  the  Shrewsbury  linguist.  It  was 
*•'  agreed  to  admit  him  at  Queen's." 

"  Queen's  College,  7th  Februaiy. 

•<  I  see  in  the  last  Christian  Observer,  that  Schaaf 's  Lex- 
**  icon  is  mentioned  as  preparing  for  the  press  by  subscript 
«  tion.  Will  you  be  so  good  as  to  inform  me  who  is  publish- 
"  ing  it  ?  for  I  w  as  about  commencing  the  work  at  my  own 
"  expense,  and  the  printer  had  just  sent  me  an  estimate. 
"  But  I  shall  be  most  happy  if  the  work  has  been  underta- 
^»  ken  by  another.  Mr.  Kelly,  of  Dublin,  wrote  to  me  last 
<*  week  to  say,  that  he  was  projecting  something  in  the  way 
•«  of  a  Syriac  Lexicon ;  but  he  wished  me  not  to  delay  my 


508  MEMOIRS  OF 

*^  work  on  account  of  his,  as  he  knew  not  when  it  would  he 
<*  finislicd. 

*«  I  propose  to  leave  Cambridge  for  KIrby  Hall  on  the 
•<  17th  instant." 

Dr.  Buchanan  returned  into  Yorkshire  about  the  time 
just  mentioned,  and  continued  there  till  the  month  of  July 
following.  While  there,  he  wrote  thus  to  a  friend — **  I  am 
*^  stronger  than  I  was;  but  my  defect  in  utterance  and 
«  breath  remains,  and  also  my  want  of  memory  ;  which 
"  shews  that  my  illness  aftected  the  mind  a  good  deal." 

The  Committee  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society 
liad  now  determined  to  pvint  the  edition  of  the  Syriac  New 
Testament,  which  Dr.  Buelianan  had  been  so  anxiously  en- 
deavouring to  obtain  for  the  use  of  the  Syrian  Christians  on 
the  coast  of  Malabar.  With  his  usual  zeal  and  liberality, 
he  engaged  to  prepare  the  text,  and  superintend  the  execu- 
tion of  the  work,  at  his  own  expense.  For  this  purpose  he 
again  left  Yorkshire,  and  took  up  his  residence,  first  at 
Cheshunt,  and  afterwards  at  Wormley,  and  Broxbourne,  in 
Hertfordshire,  at  which  latter  place  the  printer  lived  who 
had  undertaken  the  work.  Soon  after  his  arrival,  he  wrote 
to  Mrs.  Thompson  as  follows. 

"  Turnford  Hall,  Cheshunt,  HerUt, 
23fl  July,  1.814. 

^<  My  dear  Mrs.  T. 

'^  I  arrived  here  last  Saturday,  on  which  day  I  wrote  you 
^*  a  few  lines.  Since  that  time  I  have  been  daily  emphiyed 
•*  in  superintending  the  press,  and  corresponding  witii  the 
'^  Bible  Society,  with  the  Syndics  of  the  University  Press, 
"  Cambridge,  and  with  friends  respecting  tutors  for  the  two 
»<  noble  families  which  I  lately  visited. 

"  I  live  with  a  widow  lady  and  her  daughters.  They  ne- 
<«ver  had  boarders  before ;  but  hearing  that  I  wanted  ac- 
"  commodation  of  this  kind  in  the  village,  they  received  me. 
«  We  have  morning  and  evening  prayers  just  as  at  Skelton 
"Lodge.  I  have  my  meals  by  myself,  being  willing  to  hus- 
<<band  my  voice,    in  the  hope  that  it  will  acquire  some 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  509 

«  strength.  I  walk  in  the  meadows  by  the  side  of  the  river 
«  Lee,  and  endeavour  to  meditate  on  things  spiritual  and 
<^  eternal.  There  are  few  days  in  which  I  do  not  think  of 
^«  Mary,  now  among  the  blessed.  I  envy  her  happy  lot,  but 
*'  yet  I  have  just  strength  to  pray  that  I  may  be  enabled  to 
"  serve  God  in  my  generation. 

<*  Mr.  Yeates  is  come  from  London  to  cooperate  with  me. 
"  It  is  not  decided  yet  whether  one  half  of  my  work  is  to  go 
"  on  at  Cambridge  or  not.  They,  however,  expect  me  at 
«<  Queen's  college,  and  I  think  it  probable  I  shall  go  there 
"  in  about  a  month,  if  indeed  I  do  not  go  nearer  to  London ; 
*<  for  Mr.  Watts,  my  printer,  has  just  informed  me,  that  he 
<'  is  about  to  remove  his  printing  establishment  to  the  me- 
"  tropolis. 

"  I  hope  to  hear  that  your  foot  is  almost  well.  Jacob,  you 
''  know,  *  halted'  to  the  day  of  his  death  ;  but  then  every 
"  false  step  would  remind  him  of  his  victory  with  God.  And 
«  yet  this  ^  prince  with  God'  would  not  be  comforted  when 
<^  he  thought  Joseph  was  dead !  How  encompassed  with  in- 
•«  firmity  is  man,  even  regenerated  man ;  man,  partaker  of 
"  the  divine  nature  ! 

«  1  hope  that  Charlotte  and  Augusta  are  happy  and  well. 
•'^  Jacob  prayed,  saving, '  God,  which  fed  me  all  my  life  long 
«*  unto  this  day,  the  angel  which  redeemed  me  from  all  evil, 
*<  bless  the  lads.'  That  is  a  prayer  which  I  would  offer  up 
"  for  Charlotte  and  Augusta.  I  also  liavc  been  <  redeemed 
«^  from  much  evil'  during  an  eventful  life ;  and  so  have  they 
*'  hitherto.  A  boy  about  Augusta's  age  is  dying  near  us 
<«  here.  He  broke  his  leg  by  some  imprudent  exertion,  and 
<«  the  fever  induced  is  likely  to  prove  fatal.  His  mother  sits 
««  by  him,  and  cannot  eat.  He  belonged  to  a  Sunday  school, 
"  and  desires  those  hymns  to  be  read  to  him  which  speak  of 
««  Christ's  atoning  for  wicked  children.  My  love  to  you  all. 
« Adieu.  »  *f  C.  B.'* 

The  pensive  tenor  of  a  part  of  the  preceding  letter  will 
appear  peculiarly  interesting,  when  it  is  considered  that 
Dr.  Buchanan  was  now  fast  approaching  the  confines  of  that 


510  MEMOIRS  OF 

world,  whither  so  many  of  those  who  were  dear  to  him  had 
gone  before.  Amongst  others,  the  son  of  his  friend,  Colonel 
Sandys,  for  whose  welfare  he  had  been  affectionately  con- 
cerned, was  about  this  time  departing  in  the  faith  and  hope 
of  the  Gospel.  He  thus  replied  to  the  intelligence  which 
had  announced  to  him  the  delightful  change  in  his  views  and 
feelings  since  the  time  when  he  had  visited  him  in  York- 
shire. 

<^  What  wonderful  news  you  relate  !  Your  dear  son  Wil- 
*<liam  speaks  of  « the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ,'  and 
«  magnifies  his  Saviour  in  the  eyes  of  men  !  This  is  cer- 
<<  tainly  a  great  triumph  of  divine  grace.  However,  I  anti- 
<*  cipated  it,  as  I  believe  you  know ;  for  I  was  persuaded  he 
«  would  be  given  to  your  persevering  prayers. 

"  Be  pleased  to  give  him  my  most  affectionate  remem- 
*'  brance ;  and  tell  him  he  is  about  to  be  ushered  into  a  glo- 
<<  ry,  which  good  men  upon  earth  have  been  contemplating 
'*  for  many  years,  but  have  not  yet  enjoyed.  He  has  obtain- 
«  ed  the  victory  without  the  battle ;  for  the  Captain  of  his 
*<  salvation  has  fought  for  him.  May  his  faith  be  firm  and 
''  ardent  to  the  last,  that  he  may  persevere  in  and  complete 
«*  his  glorious  testimony  !" 

The  following  extracts  from  letters  to  different  friends 
describe  the  general  state  of  Dr.  Buclianan's  health,  feel- 
ings, and  employment  during  the  remainder  of  this  year. 
''  To  Mrs.  Thompson. 

«  Wormley,  Herts,  Aug.  2,  1814. 

<<  I  have  been  twice  bled,  I  think,  since  I  wrote,  and  must, 
"  I  fear,  suffer  further  depletion.  With  returning  strength 
«  my  constitution  brought  with  it  what  was  to  be  apprehend- 
«  ed,  a  tendency  to  fulness.  And  possibly  I  must  soon  revert 
<<  to  abstemiousness  and  the  painful  seton.  But  the  Lord's 
«  disposal  is  the  best  for  this  world  and  for  the  next.  I  seek 
•'*  to  do  his  will." 

"  To  his  Daughters. 

*•  August  22. 

« I  am  not  very  sure  that  I  shall  be  able  to  execute  what 
*<  I  have  undertaken  by  the  time  proposed.   There  are  three 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  511 

*«  printing  presses   at  work,  and  I  am  obliged  to  read  and 
**  correct  every  word  in  Syriac,  Latin,  and  English." 

"  To  Colonel  Macaulay. 

"  Wormley,  8th  September. 

<^  Two  Cochin  Jews,  who  recollect  you  very  well,  are  in 
"  distress  for  a  passage  back  to  India.  I  would  try  to  aid 
"  them,  if  I  knew  to  whom  to  apply.  But  I  fear  the  Com- 
<•  pany  are  not  in  the  habit  of  giving  a  passage  to  persons  of 
«  their  description.  You  will  know  better*  than  I  what  to 
«  recommend  them  to  do. 

<*  Since  the  peace,  you  have  been  passing  through  many 
"  countries,  and  doing  good.  I,  on  the  other  hand,  have 
«  been  stationary,  travelling  slowly  through  the  regions  of 
"  the  New  Testament.  I  congratulate  you  on  your  equable 
«  health.  My  own  was  well  confirmed  for  a  while ;  but  it  is 
«*  again  in  a  critical  state." 

<<  To  Mrs,  Thompson, 

"  Wormley,  September  14. 

*'  I  know  not  God's  will.  I  think  less  of  seeing  another 
•<  autumn  than  at  any  former  time.  If,  however,  I  live,  I 
"  shall  most  probably  go  to  Ireland,  or  to  the  continent ;  I 
<*  mean  Paris  and  Rome.  I  wish  I  could  have  visited  both 
"  these  latter  places  before  I  had  commenced  my  present 
<*  work." 

*<  To  Miss  Bnchanari, 

"  Broxbourne,  7th  December. 

<*  My  dear  Charlotte, 
"  Many  thanks  to  you  for  your  letter.  I  am  glad  that 
"  Augusta's  queries  have  afforded  Mr.  Graham  so  fair  an 
^<  opportunity  of  displaying  his  classical  powers.  But  the 
"  true  Virgilian  model  requires  the  first  words  to  be  Sic  vos 
(' non  vobis.  Would,  that  poor  Virgil  could  have  under- 
<*  stood  the  distich  which  Mr.  G.  has  written.  But,  alas! 
<<  that  divine  Poet,  as  he  has  been  called,  never  heard  of  an 
*«  atonement  for  tiie  sins  of  men.  He  had,  however,  some 
•<  confused  idea  of  the  coming  of  a  Messiah,  or  Prince  from 


512  MEMOIRS  OF 

•*  heaven,  who  should  regenerate  an  evil  world.  This  you 
^' will  sec  in  his  Pollio,  one  of  the  Bucolics;  which  I  will 
<<  thank  you  to  read  as  soon  as  you  have  finished  the  sixth 
*«book  of  the  ^Eneid. 

'« I  am  happy  to  hear  that  you  read  a  little  of  the  sacred 
*<  language  on  Sunday.  As  there  is  no  Italian  teacher  at 
<*  present  in  York,  you  must  postpone  your  acquaintance 
"  with  the  <  modern  Roman'  till  an  opportunity  offers. 

"  I  hope  you  will  not  leave  thorough  bass  till  you  under- 
^*  stand  it  thoroughly, 

*<  You  ask  me  for  Mr.  Slater's  drawing.  1  sat  to  him  two 
"  mornings,  but  contrived  to  have  a  sheet  of  Syriac  placed 
"  in  the  direction  I  was  to  look.  He  complained  that  I  was 
"thoughtful.  I  told  him  of  the  talent  of  Sir  Joshua  Rey- 
**  nolds  ;  who  by  his  fascinating  discourse  contrived  to  keep 
"  his  patients  (a  proper  term  /think  for  persons  subjected 
<f  to  this  operation)  in  a  state  of  high  good  humour,  particu- 
<<  larly  with  themselves,  which  shewed  itself  in  their  beam- 
"  ing  and  expanded  looks.  When  Mr.  Slater  had  done,  I 
« looked  in  vain  for  the  beaming  and  expanded  look.  Mr. 
«  S.  accused  the  Syriac.  I  told  him,  I  thought  the  picture 
"  was  that  of  an  ill-looking  man.  He  said,  he  thought  it 
^*  was  a  good  likeness.  I  only  saw  it  for  two  minutes,  after 
'^  sitting  to  it  two  days.  I  told  him  he  might  send  it  down 
*<  to  Mrs.  Thompson,  and  he  should  be  at  liberty  to  engrave 
<*  it,  if  it  obtained  her  approbation.  I  desired  him  to  send 
<*  with  it,  as  a  present  to  you  and  Augusta,  a  print  of  Mrs. 
'<  Hannah  More  ;  that  you  may  have  before  your  eyes  a  lady 
'*  who  made  so  good  an  use  of  her  opportunities  for  study 
<<  between  the  fourteenth  and  seventeenth  year  of  her  age, 
''  that  the  world  has  been  benefitted  by  it  ever  since. 

"  Yesterday  Mr.  B.  and  Mr.  S.  spent  the  whole  day  with 
"  me.  Their  object  was  to  procure  my  name  as  secretary 
«  of  the  Jewish  Society.  But  I  had  radical  objections  to  the 
"  constitution  of  that  society  in  its  present  form,  and  sug- 
«  gested  renovation  and  improvement. 

«'  I  should  like  to  be  present  at  the  famous  duet  for  three 
*•  voices.    I  liope  I  shall  be  with  you  shortly  after  Christ- 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  5I3 

•<  mas.  I  must  superintend  the  printers  till  the  day  they 
"  break  up  for  their  own  holidays,  which  I  suppose  will  be 
«  Christmas-day.  Besides,  I  wish  to  see  the  four  Gospels 
^  finished  if  possible  before  my  long  journey. 

*<  I   have  not  seen  the  Velvet  Cushion.     The  ladies  tell 
**  me  it  is  a  very  amusing  and  instructive  work. 
<«  My  love  to  Mrs.  T.  and  Augusta,  and 
<*  1  remain, 

<«  My  dear  Charlotte, 

"  Your  affectionate  Father, 

**  C.  Buchanan." 

"  Broxbourne,  Herts,  Dec.  17,  1814. 

"  My  dear  Sandys, 

<«  I  thank  you  for  your  letter  of  the  12th,  which  informs 
♦<  me  that  you  and  seven  children  are  well.  There  are  a 
<«  great  many  blessings  comprehended  in  that  expression. 

**  1  am  glad  that  you  have  been  enabled  to  write  a  narra- 
*<  tive  of  the  rise  and  progress  of  religion  in  the  soul  of  Wil- 
<•  Ham.  Under  whatever  form  it  eventually  appear,  I  doubt 
**  not  but  it  will  do  good.  Particularly  among  his  young  re- 
"  latives  in  Cornwall,  such  a  record  must  appear  as  a  so- 
"  lemn  witness. 

"  My  health  continues  much  the  same.  I  take  a  little 
"  exercise  on  horseback,  live  low,  go  to  bed  early,  and  rise 
a  generally  to  read  by  candle  light.  By  such  means,  under 
<<  the  blessing  of  God,  1  am  enabled  to  carry  on  my  present 
<^  undertaking.  But  a  slight  return  of  indisposition  would 
<<  suspend  the  whole.  I  therefore  would  live  a  pensioner  on 
'  *«  God's  mercy  for  the  hour. 

**  A  letter. from  Mr.  Udney  informs  me  that  Miss  F.  died 
'« lately,  and  had  peace  in  death,  *  her  heart  having  been 
"  long  previously  weaned  from  the  world.'  He  speaks  with 
<«  satisfaction  of  the  effect  of  a  work  I  published  two  years 
<«  ago,  entitled  *  Colonial  Ecclesiastical  Establishment.' 

<*  I  beg  to  be  affectionately  remembered  to  Mrs.  S.  and  to 
«  Allan.  The  purpose  of  the  latter  to  cultivate  his  mind  by 
♦<  classical  knowledge  is  very  gratifying  to  me, 

"  I  am  very  ?,ffectionately  yours, 
"  C.  Buchanan." 
T  n 


514  MEMOIRS  OF 

<^  To  Mrs.  Thompson^ 

"  Eroxbourne,  Dec.  24. 

«  My  dear  Mrs.  T. 
<<  I  write  to  say  that  I  hope  to  be  with  you  in  the  course 
i(  of  tlie  first  week  of  the  new  year.     It  is,  however,  doubt- 
«  ful  wliether  I  sliall  not  be  detainetl  till  the  9th  or  10th  of 
•<  January.    I  shall  at  all  events  write  before  1  set  off. 

^<  What  detains  me  is  the  wisli  to  complete  the  foui*  Gos- 
X  pels  before  I  leave  this  place,  lest  I  should  never  return. 
*'  <  For  what  is  our  life?'  saith  St.  James,  *  It  is  even  a  va- 
«  pour,  that  appeareth  for  a  little  time,  and  then  vanisheth 
•*  away.' 

"  I  have  had  another  visit  from  Mr.  S.  and  Mr.  L.  W.  on 
»<  the  subject  of  the  Jewish  Society.  I  proposed  timt  the  in- 
«*  stitution,  in  whatsoever  degree  supported  by  Church  mem- 
<«  bers,  should  be  exclusively  a  Church  of  England  Society. 
"I  declined,  however,  pledging  myself  for  its  support,  fur- 
"  ther  than  by  offering  my  best  advice.  I  desired  them  to 
<^  communicate  their  plans  and  wishes  to  all  good  and  emi- 
<*  nent  ministers  in  the  kingdom,  to  request  useful  hints  and 
<'  affectionate  support,  and  to  do  nothing  of  themselves : — 
<<  not  to  call  their  Society,  <  for  conversion  of  the  Jews :' 
««  but  a  Society  for  the  education  of  Jewish  children ;  for 
<«  diffusing  the  New  Testament  among  the  Jews ;  for  cor- 
•<  responding  with  them  concerning  the  Messiah  in  all  lands; 
<*  and  for  the  diffusion  of  Jewish  literature.  Lastly,  to  con- 
**  nect  the  Institution  with  the  Church  Missionary  Society, 
*<  the  end  being  the  same. 

«  I  have  just  received  letters  from  India.  Sabat,  who  had 
X  left  his  Christian  society,  and  it  was  feared  would  never 
<*  return,  has  returned  to  Calcutta,  and  is  again  translating 
*<  the  Scriptures.  He  confessed  to  Mr.  Thomason,  that  he 
*<  could,  find  no  rest  for  the  soles  of  his  feet. 

"  Mr.  T.  sends  me  the  third  annual  Report  of  the  Calcut- 
<•  ta  Auxiliary  Bible  Society,  w  hich  I  shall  take  down  with 
«  me,  if  I  remember  it.    My  love  to  all  till  J  see  you. 

"  Your  very  affectionate  Son, 

^«  C.  Buchanan." 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  515 

Dr.  Bucliaiiaii's  visit  to  the  north  was  but  of  short  dura- 
tion. On  the  19th  of  January  1815,  he  returned  to  Brox- 
bourne ;  from  whence  he  wrote  to  Mrs.  Thompson  as  fol- 
lows. 

^*  My  dear  Mrs.  T. 

"  I  could  have  reached  this  place  yesterday,  but  1  reser- 
•«  ved  seventeen  miles  for  this  morning.  I  slept  on  Monday 
*'  night  at  Carleton  Hall.  I  travelled  about  a  hundred  miles 
^<  next  day  in  post  chaises;  and  though  it  snowed^  I  was 
"  warm  and  comfortable  all  the  way.  My  only  mishap  was 
"  losing  my  diamond  pin  somewhere,  which  I  have  had  for 
"  ten  years.  I  now  use  one  of  those  Augusta  gave  me. 
'*  Thus  we  cease  to  sparkle. 

"  I  found  all  at  home  well.  One  of  the  letters  on  my  ta- 
"  ble  was  from  Mr.  John  Thornton,  nephew  to  Mr.  Henry 
**  Thornton,  informing  me  of  the  illness  of  his  uncle,  and  re- 
*<  questing  letters  of  introduction  to  his  brother  going  to 
*<  India. 

"  Another  letter  was  from  Mr.  Macaulay,  mentioning  the 
*<  increasing  illness  of  Mr.  Thornton,  and  comparing  him, 
<*  after  twenty-two  years'  acquaintance,  rather  to  the  cha- 
*<  racter  of  the  saints  in  the  next  life,  than  in  this  ;  ^  The 
*<  just  man  made  perfect.' 

^«  I  request  you  will  alter  any  thing  in  my  written  or  oral 
^*  instructions  to  Charlotte  and  Augusta,  according  to  your 
•«  discretion.  If  the  verse  in  the  morning  appear  to  be  an 
**  unfruitful  task,  it  may  be  discontinued  by  both. 

•<  My  love  to  them  ;  and  believe  me  to  be, 
**  My  dear  Mrs.  T. 

"  Your  very  affectionate  Son, 

"  C.  BuCHAISfAN." 

"  Thus  I  have  been  enabled  to  accomplisli  a  journey  of 
*«  four  hundred  miles  with  health  and  strength.  Bless  the 
*»  Lord,  0  my  soul,  for  all  his  goodness.  May  I  only  live  to 
<•  his  glory  !" 

A  letter  to  Mr.  Macaulay  on  the  same  day  on  which  the 
preceding  was  dated,  briefly  but  emphatically  notices  the 


ffiQ  MEMOIRS  OF 

fatal  termination  of  Mr.  Henry  Thornton's  illness,  and  the 
anxiety  of  Dr.  Buchanan  to  pay  the  only  tribute  of  respect 
which  remained  to  his  memory. 

"  Broxbourne,  Thursday,  19th  Jan. 

<*  My  dear  Friend, 

•'  On  my  return  from  Yorkshire  this  morning,  where  I 
*'have  been  for  a  fortnight  on  a  visit  to  my  family,  1  found 
*«  your  letter  of  the  11th  inst.  lying  on  my  table. 

<«  The  first  intimation  I  had  of  Mr.  Thornton's  illness 
"  was  on  Monday  last  at  Carleton  Hall,  Worksop.  On  my 
*«  arrival  here,  I  found  your  letter,  and  one  from  Mr.  John 
"  Thornton  confirming  the  painful  intelligence.  I  was  just 
"  going  to  sit  down  to  request  that  he  would  communi- 
"  cate  to  his  uncle  my  feelings  on  the  occasion,  and  my  re- 
*'  quest  to  go  to  Town  to  visit  him  if  he  had  strength  to  see 
*^  me,  when  casually  looking  into  the  paper,  I  found  that  he 
«  had  died  on  the  Tuesday.  All  I  can  now  do  is  to  attend 
"  the  funeral  of  this  good  man,  my  earliest  and  most  par- 
<«  ticular  friend  and  benefactor.  I  have  requested  Mr. 
<*  John  Thornton  to  let  me  know  on  what  day  the  funeral 
<«  takes  place.  In  case  of  mistake,  will  you  have  the  good- 
<*  ness  to  mention  to  me  the  time  and  place,  and  I  shall 
<(  go  out  early  in  the  morning,  and  return  in  the  evening, 
<<  as  my  present  work  will  not  permit  me  conveniently  to 
i*  be  absent  a  night. 

<<  I  desire  to  thank  you  most  unfeignedly  for  your  kind- 
<«  ness  to  the  two  Cochin  Jews. 

<«  With  kindest  regards  to  Mrs.  M. 
^<  I  am  very  aftectionately  yours, 

"  C.  BUCHAXAN." 

On  the  ^2d  Dr.  Buchanan  wrote  again  to  Mr.  Macaulay 
as  follows. 

«*  My  dear  Friend, 

<«  I  have  Just  received  your  note,  and  I  propose  to  go  on 
•'<  Tuesday  morning,  so  as  to  be  at  your  house  by  twelve 
i<  o'clock,  if  I  should  not  have  joined  the  procession  before 
<<  that  time.     I  shall  be  happy  to  dine  with  you,  and  to 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  51^r 

"  take  a  bed  at  your  house,  and  return  next  morning  after 
*^  breakfast. 

"  Yours  ever  affectionately, 

"  C.  Buchanan.** 

It  was  upon  the  solemn  and  affecting  occasion  thus  refer- 
red to,  that  the  Author  of  these  Memoirs  met  Dr.  Buchanan 
for  the  Jast  time.  A  crowd  of  other  friends,  distinguished 
by  their  talents,  rank,  and  piety,  united  in  lamenting  the 
loss  of  the  eminent  person  around  whose  tomb  they  were  as- 
sembled. Amidst  that  mourning  throng,  it  will  readily  be 
believed  by  those  who  recollect  his  obligations  to  Mr. 
Thornton,  as  well  as  his  just  appreciation  of  the  various  ex- 
cellencies of  his  revered  friend,  that  no  one  shed  more  sin- 
cere tears  over  his  grave  than  Dr.  Buchanan.  Doubtless 
he  then  felt,  as  he  seemed  to  feel,  in  common  with  a  mul- 
titude of  other  persons,  that  another  of  those  ties  by  which 
he  had  been  linked  to  this  world  was  destroyed.  The  wri- 
ter of  these  pages  remembers,  with  sensations  of  melancho- 
ly yet  pleasing  regret,  the  peculiarly  holy  and  heavenly 
strain  of  conversation  with  which  Dr.  Buchanan  cheered 
and  edified  his  friends  on  the  evening  of  that  mournful  day, 
and  on  the  morning  of  his  return  into  Hertfordshire  ;  little 
thinking  that  it  would  be  the  last  opportunity  of  their  enjoy- 
ing that  privilege. 

Of  this  short  and  affecting  visit  to  Clapham,  the  follow- 
ing  interesting  anecdote  has  been  communicated  by  the 
friend  at  whose  house  Dr.  Buchanan  took  up  his  abode. 

"  He  was  relating  to  me,"  observes  this  gentleman,  «^as 
"  we  walked  together  from  the  church-yard  where  we  had 
"  deposited  tlie  mortal  remains  of  Henry  Thornton,  the 
<•  course  he  was  pursuing  with  respect  to  the  printing  of  the 
"  Syriac  Testament.  He  stated,  that  his  solicitude  to  ren- 
*^  der  it  correct  had  led  him  to  adopt  a  plan  of  revision, 
*<  which  required  him  to  read  each  sheet  five  times  over 
«  before  it  went  finally  to  the  printer.  The  particulars  of 
"  the  plan  I  do  not  very  distinctly  remember.  It  was,  how- 
«  ever,  something  of  this  kind.     He  first  prepared  the  sheets 


5iS  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  for  the  press.  When  the  proof  was  sent,  he  read  it  over 
'*  attentively,  instituting  a  comparison  with  the  original, 
^'  and  looking  into  the  various  readings,  &c.  A  revise  was 
*^  sent  him,  which  he  carefully  examined,  making  correc* 
"  tions.  This  was  submitted  to  Mr.  Yeates.  When  it  came 
"  from  him,  he  read  it  again,  adopting  such  of  his  sugges- 
"  tions  as  he  thouglit  right.  When  the  printer  had  made  the 
<*  requisite  corrections,  he  sent  a  fresh  revise,  after  being 
<<  read,  to  Mr.  Lee,  and  reperused  it  when  it  came  from 
<<him.  A  third  revise  was  then  procured,  which  he  again 
"  examined  before  it  was  finally  committed  to  the  press.  I 
*^  do  not  know  that  I  am  precisely  accurate  in  this  statement, 
*<  but  it  was  something  of  the  above  description. 

*«  While  giving  me  this  detail,  he  stopped  suddenly,  and 
**  burst  into  tears.  I  was  somewhat  alarmed.  When  he 
*<  had  recovered  himself,  he  said,  «  Do  not  be  alarmed.  I  am 
"  not  ill ;  but  I  was  completely  overcome  with  the  recol- 
«  lection  of  the  delight  which  I  had  enjoyed  in  this  exer- 
"  cise.  At  first  I  was  disposed  to  shrink  from  the  task  as 
"  irksome,  and  apprehended  that  I  should  find  even  the 
«  Scriptures  pall  by  the  frequency  of  this  critical  examina- 
**tion.  But  so  far  from  it,  every  fresh  perusal  seemed  to 
^<  throw  fresh  light  on  the  word  of  God,  and  to  convey  addi- 
«*  tional  joy  and  consolation  to  my  mind.' " 

How  delightful  is  the  contemplation  of  a  servant  of  Christ 
thus  devoutly  engaged  in  his  heavenly  Master's  work, 
almost  to  the  very  moment  of  his  transition  to  the  divine 
source  of  light  and  truth  itself ! 

The  extreme  severity  of  the  weather  had  excited  some 
apprehensions  in  the  minds  of  many  as  to  the  probable  effect 
of  Dr.  Buchanan's  exposure  to  it  during  some  hours  of  the 
preceding  day.  He  did  not,  however,  appear  at  tlie  time 
to  have  suffered  by  it,  and  reached  Broxbourne  on  the  25th 
of  January  in  safety. 

On  the  first  of  February  he  wrote  to  Mrs.  Thompson, 
informing  her  of  the  solemn  scene  at  which  he  had  lately 
been  present,  describing  the  numerous  and  respectful  at- 
tendance at  the  funeral  of  Mr.  Thornton,  and   expressing 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  519 

his  earnest  desire  to  follow  him  to  the  same  blessed  inheri- 
tance. 

This  was  the  last  communication  of  Dr.  Buchanan  to  his 
distant  friends.  The  time  of  his  departure  was  now  fast 
approaching.  He  continued,  however,  his  Christian  under- 
taking to  the  last.  On  his  return  from  Yorkshire,  he  had 
proceeded  with  the  preparation  of  the  Syriac  version  of  the 
Acts  of  the  Apostles,  and  had  advanced,  on  the  <lay  prece- 
ding his  death,  to  the  twentieth  chapter ;  in  which  the  zeal- 
ous and  affectionate  Apostle,  in  his  address  to  the  elders  of 
Ephesus,  expresses  his  conviction  of  his  final  separation 
from  his  friends  in  these  remarkable  words.  <*  And  now, 
««  behold,  I  know  that  ye  all,  among  whom  I  have  gone 
<*  preaching  the  kingdom  of  God,  shall  see  my  face  no 
"  more."  The  chapter  which  thus  closed  the  labours  of  Dr. 
Buchanan,  and  in  which  he  seemed  to  bid  farewell  to  every 
earthly  association,  was  but  too  prophetic  of  the  event  which 
was  about  so  shortly  to  take  place.  Of  his  few  remaining 
days,  and  of  his  sudden  removal  to  that  higher  world,  for 
which  he  had  long  been  ripening,  the  following  letter  to  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Kempthorne,  from  his  confidential  servant,  who 
was  his  only  attendant  in  Hertfordshire,  though  unavoida- 
bly inadequate  to  the  anxious  wishes  of  his  friends,  affords 
a  minute  and  faithful  account. 

*' Broxbourne,  12th  Feb.  1815. 

"  Rev.  Sir, 
«*  In  case  of  your  not  having  been  made  acquainted, 
*«  through  the  public  papers,  of  the  decease  of  my  dear  mas- 
"ter,  Dr.  Buchanan,  I  feel  it  my  duty  to  write  to  you  on 
<«  the  subject. 

«  The  Doctor's  state  of  health,  as  you  may  have  under- 
**  stood,  had  improved,  during  his  residence  here,  up  to  the 
*«  time  of  his  late  visit  to  Yorkshire  :  but  the  fatigue  of  that 
"journey,  probably,  added  to  an  attendance,  in  a  week 
«  after  his  return,  in  bad  weather,  at  the  funeral  of  Mr. 
«  Henry  Thornton,  brought  on  an  apparently  slight  indis- 
«'  position,  which  the  Doctor  himself,  I  believe,  considered 
"  merely  ^  cold.  On  Thursday  last,  however,  while  making 


520  MEMOIRS  OF 

**  a  morning's  call  on  some  of  the  neighbours,  he  was  taken 
*«  with  something  of  a  fainting  fit,  which  passed  oft\  without 
«  his  considering  it  of  consequence  enough  to  require  medi- 
«  cal  assistance.  As  the  sickness  came  on  again  towards 
*t  evening,  I  took  the  liberty  to  disobey  my  master's  orders, 
«  and  to  send  for  the  medical  gentleman,  whose  skill  had 
<*  so  much  appeared  in  the  improvement  of  the  Doctor's 
<*  health  in  the  preceding  months.  This  gentleman  was 
*«  with  him  about  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  did  not 
«  express  any  apprehension  of  danger.  Dr.  Buchanan  reti- 
<*red  a  little  past  ten,  saying  he  was  better;  and  as  he  ex- 
"  pected  to  get  a  little  sleep,  wished  me  not  to  disturb  him, 
"  to  take  the  second  medicine,  till  he  rung  the  bell.  About 
<*  half  past  eleven,  sitting  on  the  watch  for  the  summons,  I 
*'  fancied  I  heard  something  of  an  hiccough  ;  which  indu- 
<i  ced  me,  contrary  to  orders,  to  enter  the  chamber,  and  to 
«<  inquire  if  he  was  worse.  He  signified  he  was  worse. 
^«  On  which  I  instantly  alarmed  the  family,  and  sent  for 
<^  assistance ;  and  then  returned  to  the  bedside,  wliere  my 
<«  master  appeared  labouring  under  a  spasm  in  the  breast. 
"  He  intimated  a  wish  for  me  to  hold  his  head ;  and  in 
"  this  posture,  without  struggle  or  convulsion,  his  breath 
<*  appeared  to  leave  him  ;  so  that  before  twelve,  by  which 
"  time  Mr.  Watts  the  printer,  Mr.  Yeates,  and  a  few  other 
<«  neighbours,  were  with  me,  we  were  obliged  to  conclude, 
«  that  our  excellent  friend's  spirit  had  joined  the  glorified 
<«  saints  above.  I  should  have  mentioned,  that  on  returning 
<«  home  in  the  morning  after  the  fit.  Dr.  Buchanan  seemed 
<*  lame  on  the  left  side ;  but,  as  it  went  off,  he  did  not  think 
<<  it  of  any  consequence.  I  have  reason  to  think  it  might 
"  be  a  third  attack  of  paralysis.  The  medical  man,  on 
<»  his  coming  after  my  master's  dissolution,  said  it  did  not 
"  surprise  him.  A  letter  was  immediately  forwarded,  by 
<«  express,  to  communicate  the  melancholy  intelligence  to 
"  my  master's  family  in  Yorkshire  ;  from  whence  some  one 
<<  is  hourly  expected.  Mr.  Macaulay  was  also  written  to  ; 
"  and  Mr.  Simeon,  at  Cambridge.  On  Saturday  Mr.  Ba- 
<*  bington,  the  member  for  Leicester,  came  down,  and  ap- 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  ggl 

*<  proved  of  the  precaution  and  arrangements  taken  imme- 
"  diately   after   the   departure   of  my    master ;  hoth  as  to 
"  putting  seals  on  the  drawers,  study,  &e.  &e. 
"  With  the  greatest  respect, 

"  I  beg  to  subscribe  myself, 
<*  Rev.  Sir, 
<«  Your  most  obedient,  faithful  servant, 

«  T.  Vaux.'* 

Such  was  the  sudden  summons  by  which,  on  the  9th  of 
February  181.5,  in  the  4-9th  year  of  his  age,  this  eminent 
servant  of  God  was  called  to  his  heavenly  rest.  To  himself 
it  could  scarcely  be  said  to  have  been  unexpected.  The 
debilitated  constitution  which  he  brought  with  him  from  In- 
dia, and  the  repeated  shocks  it  had  subsequently  sustained, 
led  him  habitually  to  regard  his  continuance  in  life  as  ex- 
tremely uncertain  and  precarious  ;  while  his  various  afflic- 
tions, personal  and  domestic,  had  tended  to  withdraw  his 
thoughts  and  affections  from  the  world,  and  to  fix  them 
on  spiritual  and  eternal  objects.  We  have  seen,  that  in 
fulfilling  the  important  engagement  which  terminated  his 
earthly  course,  he  evidently  appeared  to  be  working  while 
it  was  called  «*  to-day,"  and  to  be  constantly  anticipating 
the  near  approach  of  «•  the  night,"  in  which  he  could  no 
longer  work.  Of  his  habitual  preparation  for  the  liour  of 
his  departure,  no  one  can  entertain  a  doubt,  who  has  mark- 
ed the  scriptural  foundation  of  his  faith,  and  the  unques- 
tionable evidences  of  its  sincerity,  in  the  long  and  uniform 
tenor  of  his  truly  Christian  career.  It  might,  perhaps, 
have  been  desirable,  both  for  himself  and  for  others,  that 
some  interval,  however  short,  had  been  vouchsafed;  in 
which  this  "  good  and  faithful  servant"  of  his  Lord  might 
have  had  an  opportunity  of  renewing  his  repentance,  of 
testifying  his  faith,  of  perfecting  his  patience,  of  purifying 
and  exalting  his  charity,  of  bidding  a  more  solemn  and  ex- 
press farewell  to  "  things  seen  and  temporal,"  of  prepa- 
ring more  deliberately  and  devoutly  for  an  immediate  en 

V  3 


5aS  MEMOIRS  OF 

trance  upon  ♦•  things  unseen  and  eternal'^."  Such  an  inter- 
val,  however,  so  precious  to  the  generality  of  mankind, 
and  usually  so  important,  the  Divine  Wisdom  did  not  see  fit 
to  grant  to  the  suhjcct  of  these  Memoirs.  Neither,  indeed, 
oan  it  he  said  to  have  heen  necessary.  The  readers  of  the 
preceding  narrative  have  already  ohscrved  Dr.  Buchanan 
in  India,  upon  what  he  strongly,  thougli  erroneously,  believ- 
ed would  prove  his  death-bed ;  and  they  liave  witnessed  the 
deeply  penitent,  yet  resigned  and  peaceful  frame  of  mind, 
which  he  then  exhibited.  Such,  as  we  are  evidently  autho- 
rized to  conclude,  only  of  a  more  mature  and  heavenly  na- 
ture, would  have  been  his  testimony  and  his  feelings,  had  he 
been  allowed  again  to  express  them.  In  the  absence,  how- 
ever, of  any  such  opportunity,  we  must  be  contented  to  recur 
to  that  scene  ;  and,  together  with  the  recollection  of  his  sub- 
sequent "  work  of  faith,  and  labour  of  love,  and  patience  of 
"  hope,"  endeavour  to  enter  into  the  full  meaning  of  the  fol- 
lowing brief  sentence,  which  occurs  amidst  a  few  other 
"  private  thoughts,"  and  in  which  its  author  appears  plain- 
ly to  have  anticipated  the  probability  of  some  final  stroke, 
which  should  impede  the  exercise  of  his  faculties,  and  prove 
the  prelude  to  his  departure.  *<  If,"  said  he,  "  my  mind  and 
"  memory  should  be  affected  by  illness  of  body,  I  shall  look 
"  to  my  head,  Christ.  I  am  but  a  member."  From  any 
painful  infliction  of  this  kind.  Dr.  Buchanan  was  mercifully 
spared  ;  and,  after  having  paid  the  last  sad  tribute  of  affec- 
tion to  the  friend  and  benefactor  of  his  early  years,  was  re- 
moved almost  contemporaneously,  and  reunited  to  him,  and 
to  other  kindred  spirits  of  the  **  just  made  perfect,"  in  re- 
gions where  sickness  and  sorrow,  change  and  separation, 
are  for  ever  unknown. 

In  consequence  of  a  wish  he  had  expressed  to  Mrs. 
Thompson,  not  long  before  his  death,  the  remains  of  Dr. 
Buchanan  were  removed  from  Broxbourne  to  Little  Ouse- 
burn,  in  Yorkshire,  and  deposited  near  those  of  his  second 


a  See  the  exquisite  defence,  by  the  pious  and  learned  Hooker,  of  the  petition  in 
the  Litany  against  "  sudden  death."    Ecclesiastical  Polity,  vol.  ii.  p.  175. 


DU.  BUCHANAN.  5^3 

iamented  wife.  A  nioruimontal  inscription,  written  by  the 
Rev.  W.  Richardson,  of  York,  records  in  plain  but  expres- 
sive langua.J^e  the  leading  particulars  of  his  life  and  cha- 
racter*. 

It  may,  perhaps,  be  expected,  that  a  more  definite  and 
comprehensive  review  should  be  given  of  both,  at  tlie  close 
of  these  Memoirs.  The  length,  however,  to  which  they 
have  been  already  extended,  and  the  distinctness  with  which 
the  events  of  Dr.  Buchanan's  life,  and  the  features  of  his 
character,  have  been  marked,  will  only  require  such  a  gen- 
eral recapitulation  as  may  assist  the  reader  in  forming  a 
correct  judgment  of  the  whole. 

In  reviewing  the  history  of  Dr.  Buchanan,  our  attention 
must  be  first  directed  to  his  religious  character.  It  was  this 
which  originally  introduced  him  to  our  notice,  and  by  this 
he  was  principally  distinguished  throughout  his  benevolent 
and  useful  career.  The  deep  and  solemn  impression  of  reli- 
gion, which,  through  the  grace  of  God,  was  made  upon  his 
mind  in  his  twenty-fourth  year,  formed  the  commencement 
of  a  life  devoted  to  the  service  of  Christ.  We  have  traced 
the  effects  of  this  great  spiritual  change  in  the  course  of  his 
studies  at  the  University  of  Cambridge,  during  his  various 
labours  in  India,  and  his  continued  exertions  after  his  re- 
turn to  this  country.  Amidst  these  diversified  scenes  and 
engagements,  an  energetic  conviction  of  the  infinite  impor- 
tance and  value  of  the  Gospel,  and  a  lively  sense  of  his  own 
obligations  to  that  grace  which  had  made  him  efTectually  ac- 
quainted with  its  blessings,  were  the  commanding  princi- 
ples which  actuated  his  conduct. 

Those  who  know  little  of  real  Christianity  may,  perhaps, 
attribute  his  earnestness  and  activity  in  religion,  as  they 
would  that  of  the  great  Apostle  himself,  to  enthusiasm,  zeal 
for  proselytism,  or  the  love  of  fame.  But  the  whole  tenor 
of  this  narrative  sufficiently  proves,  that  no  corrupt,  weak, 
or  worldly  motives  swayed  his  mind.  The  great  object,  to 
wiiich  he  devoted  his  life,  engaged  him  in  an  unceasing  con- 

a  See  the  end  of  the  volume. 


^^  MEMOIRS  OF 

test  with  the  principles  and  the  prejudices  of  those  whom  a 
rej^ard  to  his  worldly  interest  would  have  led  him  carefully 
to  conciliate  ;  and  though  his  benevolent  exertions  undoubt- 
edly procured  him  many  valuable  friends,  few  men  of  such 
sober  and  practical  views,  and  of  such  genuine  philanthro- 
py, have  gone  through  a  greater  variety  of  <*  evil"  as  well 
as  of  "  good  report."  With  still  less  justice  can  the  activity 
of  Dr.  Buchanan  in  the  great  labour  of  his  life  be  ascribed 
to  a  controversial  or  innovating  spirit.  He  was,  on  the  con- 
trary, disposed,  both  by  constitution  and  principle,  to  avoid 
rather  than  to  court  opposition  :  while,  during  several  years, 
the  languor  of  declining  health  was  continually  urging  him 
to  self-indulgence  and  repose. 

Amidst  such  powerful  inducements  to  a  very  different 
line  of  conduct,  it  is  scarcely  possible  not  to  perceive  that 
Br.  Buchanan  could  only  iiave  been  actuated  by  pure  and 
disinterested  motives.  The  love  of  Christ  and  of  the  souls 
of  men,  and  a  fervent  desire  to  be  the  instrument  of  impart- 
ing to  others  that  unspeakable  blessing  which  he  had  him- 
self received,  were  in  reality  the  springs  both  of  his  public 
and  private  exertions.  These  were  the  principles  by  which 
he  was  animated,  and  which  supported  him  with  equanimity 
and  patience  amidst  labour  and  reproach,  infirmity  and  sor- 
I'ow,  and  even  rendered  him  joyful  in  tribulation. 

Combined  with  these  motives,  Dr.  Buchanan  possessed  a 
spirit  of  lively  and  vigorous  faith,  which  substantiated 
« things  not  seen,"  and  led  him  to  think  and  act  under  a 
strong  impression  of  their  truth  and  reality.  He  was  there- 
fore eminently  a  practical  man.  Tliougli  inclined  by  natu- 
ral taste,  and  the  habits  of  a  learned  and  scientific  educa- 
tion, to  indulge  in  speculative  pursuits  and  pleasures,  the 
strength  of  his  faith,  and  the  ardour  of  his  love  towards 
objects  of  spiritual  and  eternal  concern,  rescued  him  from 
their  fascination,  and  taught  him  to  account  all  knowledge, 
and  all  occupation,  vain  and  unimportant,  compared  with 
that  which  tended  to  render  himself  and  others  «  wise  unto 
*^  salvation."  Hence,  from  the  period  at  which  the  religious 
necessities  of  his  own  countrymen  in  India,  and  the  moral 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  525 

state  of  its  beni.shted  native  inhabitants,  first  impressed  iiis 
mind,  the  life  of  Dr.  Buchanan  exhibits  a  continued  series  of 
strenuous,  self-denyin.s;,  and  disinterested  efi<)rts  to  supply 
the  deficiencies,  and  to  ameliorate  the  condition,  which  he 
lamented. 

For  the  accomplishment  of  this  great  purpose,  he  was  ad- 
mirably qualified  both  by  natural  and  acquired  advantages. 
Sagacious  and  observant,  calm  and  persevering,  resolute, 
yet  mild  and  courteous,  he  took  a  penetrating  and  extensive 
survey  of  the  various  objects  around  him ;  and,  omitting 
points  of  inferior  consideration  and  importance,  fixed  his  at- 
tention on  the  grand  and  prominent  features  by  w^hich  they 
were  distinguished.  The  temper  also  and  habits  of  Dr.  Bu- 
chanan were  peculiarly  calculated  to  soften  the  asperities, 
and  to  remove  the  prejudices,  of  opponents,  to  treat  with 
men  of  every  rank  upon  their  own  grounds,  and  t(^engage 
them  in  promoting  the  great  objects  which  he  himself  had  in 
view ;  while  the  compreliensiveness  of  his  mind,  and  the 
munificence  of  his  disposition,  enabled  him  both  to  conceive 
and  execute  designs  of  no  ordinary  difficulty  and  magnitude. 

We  have  accordingly  seen  in  the  course  of  these  Memoirs, 
that,  by  the  publication  of  authentic  documents  and  convin- 
cing statements,  by  the  proposal  of  magnificent  prizes,  by 
the  active  exercise  of  his  influence  with  those  who  respected 
and  esteemed  him,  and  by  personal  exertions,  which  inclu- 
ded a  journey  of  more  than  five  thousand  miles,  amidst  ma- 
ny difficulties  and  dangers,  he  endeavoured  to  extend  and 
perpetuate  among  the  European  population  of  India  the  na- 
tional faith  and  worship ;  and,  unmoved  by  the  obloquy  of 
opponents,  and  by  the  want  of  cordial  assistance  on  the  part 
of  some  who  might  have  been  expected  to  support  and  cheer 
him,  laboured  unceasingly  to  diff*usc  among  millions,  immer- 
sed in  the  thickest  darkness,  "  the  light  that  leads  to  hea- 
•«  ven." 

Nor  did  he  labour  in  vain.  Whoever  has  attended  to  the 
state  of  public  opinion,  and  to  the  course  of  public  events, 
in  this  country  and  in  India  during  the  last  twenty  years, 
must  perceive  the  revolution  of  sentiment  and  feeling,  which 


5S6  MEMOIRS  OF 

lias  taken  place  in  that  period,  upon  these  important  ques- 
tions. The  general  acknowledgment,  and  the  recognititm  in 
Parliament,  of  the  solemn  duty  of  attending  to  the  religious 
interests  of  British  India;  the  establishment  of  our  Episco- 
pal Church,  and  the  facilities  afforded  to  the  efforts  of  Christ- 
ian piety  and  zeal  to  promote,  the  knowledge  of  the  Gospel 
in  that  extensive  empire;'  and  the  progress  whjch  has  been 
actually  made  in  this  great  work,  demonstrate  the  truth  of 
this  assertion.  It  is  equally  certain,  that  to  the  able  and 
persevering  exertions  of  Dr.  Buchanan  must  this  happy 
change  of  opinion  and  these  salutary  measures  be  principal- 
ly attributed.  Of  his  claim  to  the  merit  of  having  success- 
fully pleaded  the  cause  of  an  Ecclesiastical  Establishment 
for  Britisb  India,  and  thus  of  having  prepared  the  way  for 
the  most  effectual  civilization  and  moral  improvement  of  the 
natives,  there  can  be  no  doubt ;  and  of  his  zealous  partici- 
pation in  the  great  plan  of  oriental  translation,  his  original 
proposal  of  the  Mai  ay  alim  version,  and  of  a  new  edition  of 
the  Syriac  Testament,  and  his  generous  and  self-denying 
exertions  to  promote  both  those  important  works,  are  proofs 
which  neither  can  nor  will  be  forgotten.  Millions  yet  un- 
born will,  doubtless,  on  account  of  these  and  many  other 
great  and  truly  Christian  services  of  this  eminent  man,  have 
reason  to  rejoice,  and  will  hereafter  *«  rise  up  and  call  him 
"  blessed." 

The  qualifications  of  Dr.  Buchanan  as  a  writer  were  pe- 
culiarly suited  to  the  task  which  he  had  undertaken.  Bold, 
perspicuous,  and  decisive,  he  is  distinguished  in  all  his 
works  by  the  accumulation  and  display  of  new  and  striking 
facts,  connected,  for  the  most  part,  by  brief,  pointed,  and 
sententious  observations.  Even  in  his  writings  which  are 
more  strictly  theological,  he  adopted  a  similar  plan  ;  seldom 
pursuing  a  long  train  of  reasoning,  but  laying  down  certain 
undoubted  facts,  truths,  or  principles,  and  arguing  from  them 
directly  and  practically  to  the  conclusions  which  he  had  in 
view.  The  style,  however,  of  Dr.  Buchanan,  though  in  gen- 
eral simple  and  unambitious,  was,  as  we  have  more  than 
once  had  occasion  to  notice,  frequently  dignified  and  elo- 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  5^7 

quent.  But  upon  this  point  we  may  refer  with  advantage  to 
two  most  competent  and  respectable  authorities.  The  first 
is  that  of  Dean  Milner  -,  who,  in  speaking  of  Dr.  Buchanan, 
observes  as  follows. 

«*  I  perfectly  well  rememher  that  the  circumstance  which 
^«  very  soon  marked  his  character,  even  in  the  early  part  of 
«  his  residence,  as  an  undergraduate,  was  plain,  sober,  good 
<<  sense,  with  a  perspicuity  and  brevity  of  expression  in  all 
«  his  English  compositions  on  religious  and  moral  subjects. 
"  He  had  no  pretensions  to  elegance  ;  but  he  was  altogether 
«  free  from  that  vicious,  flowery  style,  into  which  young 
«  students  are  apt  to  fall.  Buchanan  had  always  too  much 
"  matter  to  allow  him  to  be  very  wordy." 

The  other  testimony  to  which  a  reference  has  been  made 
is  from  the  review  of  one  of  his  works  in  the  Christian  Ob- 
servers. 

"  Dr.  Buchanan  is  characterized,  as  a  writer,  by  ease, 
'<  and  by  a  colouring  of  the  picturesque,  with  which  he  con- 
<'  trives  to  invest  his  subject.  Some  great  writers  have  la~ 
<<  boured  to  clothe  fiction  in  the  garb  of  truth  :  Dr.  Buchan- 
"  an's  peculiarity  is,  that  he  gives  to  truth  many  of  the 
«  charms  and  ornaments  usually  appropriated  to  fiction.  In 
<<  consequence  of  this,  he  has,  we  think,  eminently  the  pow- 
*«  er  of  touching  some  of  the  best  feelings  of  the  mind,  and  of 
«<  winning  over  those  whom  dry  reasoning  might  not  con- 
«  vince." 

The  subjects  to  which  Dr.  Buchanan  devoted  his  atten- 
tion did  not  require  or  even  admit  the  display  of  learning, 
strictly  so  called.  It  has,  however,  sufliciently  appeared, 
that  without  afl'ecting  the  character  of  a  consummate  scho- 
lar, from  which  he  was  precluded  by  the  duties  of  an  active 
and  laborious  profession,  his  attainments  in  European  litera- 
ture and  science  were  of  no  ordinary  nature,  and  such  as 
qualified  liim  to  sustain  with  credit  the  important  offices  to 
which  he  was  appointed  in  India.  His  acquaintance  with 
oriental  learning,  if  not  critical  or  profound,  was  extensive 

Vol.  xii.  p.  242, 


5^8  MEMOIRS  OF 

and  considerable.  After  making  some  pro.ajress  in  the  Per- 
sian language,  he  relinquished  it,  from  a  conviction  of  its 
comparative  inutility  to  himself,  soon  after  his  arrival  in 
India;  but  with  the  Hindostanee  he  was  familiar;  and  of  the 
Hebrew,  Syriac,  and  Arabic,  he  possessed  a  very  competent 
knowledge.  His  grand  object,  however,  being  popular  and 
practical,  his  chief  excellence  consisted  in  the  collection  and 
exhibition  of  important  and  various  information,  and  in 
bringing  it,  by  convincing  and  luminous  deductions,  to  bear 
upon  some  weighty  and  interesting  question.  In  this  talent 
he  stands  nearly  unrivalled  ;  and  to  this  must  be  in  a  great 
measure  ascribed  the  success  of  his  appeals  to  the  under- 
standing and  the  heart  upon  the  great  subjects  discussed  in 
his  writings. 

The  sentiments  of  Dr.  Buchanan  as  a  divine  have  been 
for  the  most  part  fully  developed  in  these  Memoirs.  They 
have  appeared  to  be  truly  scriptural,  and  in  perfect  unison 
with  the  doctrines  of  the  Church  of  England.  With  respect 
to  erne  point,  which,  for  the  very  reason  that  it  is  now  for  the 
first  time  noticed,  evidently  formed  no  prominent  part  of  his 
creed,  he  was  what,  for  the  sake  of  distinction,  may  be  call- 
ed moderately  Calvinistic.  The  avowal  of  his  belief  in  the 
doctrine  of  personal  election  does  not  occur  in  any  of  his 
publications,  and  was  in  very  few  instances  introduced  into 
his  discourses  from  the  pulpit.  It  appears,  however,  some- 
what remarkably  in  the  preamble  to  his  last  will ;  which  is 
expressed  in  the  following  words. 

<«  T  Claudius  Buchanan,  of  Little  Ouseburn,  make  this  my 
"  last  will  and  testament.  I  commit  my  soul  and  body  to 
"Jesus  Christ,  the  Saviour  of  lost  sinners,  of  which  sinners 
"I  am  one,  the  chief  of  sinners;  but  I  trust  I  have  obtained 
«  mercy  ;  and  I  look  for  eternal  salvation  through  the  obe- 
"  dience  of  Christ  unto  death,  even  the  death  of  the  cross. 
<<  I  account  the  origin  of  my  salvation  to  be  the  love  of  God 
"  the  Father,  who  loved  my  soul  in  Christ  its  head  before  the 
«  foundation  of  the  world.  I  renounce  all  works  as  a  claim 
« of  merit.  All  my  works  have  been  mixed  and  sullied 
^<  with  sin  and  imperfection.    Whatever  has  been  accepta- 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  529 

"  ble  to  Grod  is  his  own,  even  the  work  of  his  Holy  Spirit; 
*«  it  is  not  mine.  Glory  be  to  God  the  Father,  Son,  and  Ho- 
**  ly  Ghost,  for  ever  and  ever.    Amen." 

Such  is  the  emphatic  declaration  of  his  faith,  with  which 
the  eminently  pious  subject  of  these  Memoirs  bade  adieu  to 
every  earthly  concern,  and  anticipated  an  eternal  world. 
While  the  grand  truths  of  which  it  consists  accord  with  the 
sentiments  and  feelings  of  every  real  Christian,  it  undoubt- 
edly recognizes  a  position  with  which  many  will  not  agree. 
Though  Dr.  Buchanan  was  thus  reserved  upon  this  myste- 
rious subject,  it  was,  however,  one  on  which  he  had  thought 
and  read  much.  He  left  behind  him  an  unfinished  work,  in 
which  it  was  fully  but  cautiously  discussed. 

It  is  easy  to  dis])ose  of  this  great  controverted  question  in 
a  summary  way,  and  to  deny  that  there  is  any  scriptural 
foundation  for  what  is  termed  the  Calvinistic  view  of  it :  but 
those  who  are  aware  of  the  difficulties  in  which  the  whole 
subject  is  involved,  whatever  may  be  their  own  sentiments 
respecting  it,  will  be  neither  surprised  nor  offended  at  those 
of  Dr.  Buchanan.  That  he  was  far  from  being  the  retailer 
of  other  men's  opinions,  or  from  blindly  and  indiscriminate- 
ly adhering  to  the  tenets  of  any  earthly  «  master,"  is  evident, 
not  only  from  the  general  tenor  of  his  character,  but  from 
his  express  declaration  in  a  note  to  one  of  his  published  scr- 
monsa;  in  which,  referring  to  the  general  propensity  to  ren- 
der the  religion  of  Christ  a  human  system,  and  to  enlist  un- 
der the  banner  of  some  celebrated  'eadcr,  he  observes,  that 
the  enlightened  Christian  acknowledges  no  name  but  that 
of  Christ;  and  exclaims  with  indignant  surprise,  "  Calvin 
<«  and  Arminius !  Is  it  not  an  insult  to  men  of  intelligence 
<«  and  learning,  humbly  receiving  the  revelation  of  God,  to 
"  suppose,  that,  instead  of  drawing  pure  water  from  the 
"  fountain-head,  they  should  drink  from  such  shallow  and 
«« turbid  streams  !" 

Of  human  guides  to  the  knowledge  of  divine  truth,  Dr. 
Buchanan  was  undoubtedly  disposed  to  follow  the  decisions 

a  The  Healing  Waters  of  Bethes!!a, 

X  3 


530  MEMOIRS  OF 

of  the  Church  of  which  he  was  a  member  ;  and  upon  no  other 
point  more  readily  than  upon  the  doctrine  of  the  divine  pre- 
destination, as  contained  in  the  seventeenth  article.  He 
considered  that  admirable  composition  as  expressinj^  nearly 
in  the  language  of  Scripture  the  mysterious  truth,  of  which 
it  has  been  seen  that  he  declared  his  own  solemn  belief;  and 
as  doing  this  in  so  guarded  a  manner,  as  to  preclude  all  ob- 
jection and  abuse,  except  such  as  is  corrupt  and  wilful. 
Whether  right  or  wrong  in  this  interpretation  of  Scripture 
and  of  our  Church,  may  be  a  matter  of  discussion  ;  but  if  he 
erred  in  his  view  of  the  doctrine  in  question,  let  it  not  be 
forgotten,  that  he  erred  with  many  of  the  greatest  divines 
and  brightest  ornaments  of  the  Church  ;  with  Whitgift  and 
Hooker,  with  Davenant  and  Hall,  with  Usher  and  Lieighton. 
And  where,  it  may  be  safely  added,  so  far  as  mere  human 
authority  is  concerned,  are  more  illustrious  names  to  be 
found  ?  Or  who  will  venture  to  throw  contempt  upon  opi- 
nions thus  accredited  and  adorned  ? 

Dr.  Buchanan's  view  of  this  profound  subject,  like  every 
other  sentiment  which  he  entertained,  was  far  from  being 
merely  speculative.  Whenever  he  thought  it  right  to  incul- 
cate it,  which,  as  it  has  been  observed,  was  but  seldom,  it  w^as 
not  crudely  or  exclusively  ;  but  with  reference  to  certain  spe- 
cific marks  of  the  Christian  character,  in  connexion  with 
other  scriptural  truths,  and  especially  such  as  declare  the 
obligations  and  responsibility  of  man,  as  an  intelligent  and 
accountable  hiding,  and  in  harmony  with  the  general  promi- 
ses of  the  Gospel. 

Tlie  observations  which  have  been  already  made,  as  well 
as  the  specimens  which  have  been  given  of  his  discourses, 
render  more  than  a  single  remark  upon  Dr.  Buchanan  as  a 
preacher  unnecessary.  His  manner  was  by  no  means  what 
would  be  calleil  popular.  His  delivery  was  slow,  but  im- 
pressive, and  thi)ugh  far  from  being  studied,  was  yet  pleas- 
ing and  persuasive.  His  sermons  were  often  doctrinal,  but 
more  frequently  practical  and  experimental ;  and  generally- 
interesting,  either  from  the  historical  or  parabolical  form. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  531 

or  from  the  simple  yet  energetic  and  affecting  style  in  which 
they  were  composed. 

Preaching  was  not,  however,  that  by  which  Dr.  Bucha- 
nan was  chiefly  distinguished.  His  peculiar  excellencies 
as  a  public  character  were  of  another  kind,  and  are  to  be 
discerned  in  his  enlarged  and  truly  Christian  philanthropy, 
in  the  extent  and  acknowledged  importance,  utility,  and 
disinterestedness  ot  his  plans,  and  in  the  boldness,  gene- 
rosity, and  ability,  with  which  he  laboured  to  accomplish 
them. 

Of  his  fidelity,  diligence,  and  activity,  in  the  fulfilment  of 
his  official  duties,  the  conduct  of  Dr.  Buchanan,  as  Vice- 
Provost  of  the  college  of  Fort  William,  is  a  striking  and 
satisfactory  instance  ;  and  it  is  no  slight  proof  of  the  value 
of  his  services,  that  the  year  in  which  they  were  superseded 
by  the  abolition  of  this  office  is  distinctly  marked,  by  a  very 
competent  witness,  as  the  period  of  the  declining  useful- 
ness of  that  important  institution.*  During  his  residence 
in  India,  independently  of  his  acknowledged  value  as  a  pub- 
lic servant,  he  was,  according  to  the  memorialist  of  his 
excellent  colleague,  <<  beloved  and  admired  by  many  of  every 
*'  rank  for  his  fine  abilities,  and  for  the  estimable  qualities 
*<  of  his  heart ;"  and,  after  his  return  to  this  country,  his 
uninterrupted  labours  in  the  cause  of  Chrisiianity,  amidst 
accumulated  infirmities  and  sorrows,  equally  secured  him 
the  respect  and  esteem  of  all  who  are  capable  of  apprecia- 
ting  pure  and  exalted  virtue. 

Dr.  Buchanan,  however,  sought  not  *<  honour  from  men.'* 
His  faith  enabled  him  to  '<  overcome  the  world,"  and  ren- 
dered him  comparatively  indifferent  to  its  applauses  and  its 
frowns.     He  lived, 

"  As  ever  in  his  great  Task-master's  eye ;" 

and  appeared  on  all  occasions  supremely  anxious  to  fulfil 
his  appointed  duties,  and  to  hasten  towards  tlie  heavenly 
prize.  "  He  carried  about  with  him,"  observed  one  of  his 
intimate  friends,  «*  a  deep  sense  of  the  reality  of  religion, 

a  See  Mr.  Fraser  Tytler's  "  Considerations  on  the  Slate  of  India.'* 


ass  MEMOIRS  OF 

"  as  a  principle  of  action  ;  and  from  various  conversations 
**  which  I  recollect  with  him,  I  could  strongly  infer  how 
"  much  he  laboured  to  attain  purity  of  heart."  His  last 
commonplace  hook  contains  various  proofs  of  his  simple, 
devoted,  and  progressive  piety.  Observations  occur,  chiefly 
founded  upon  passages  of  Scripture,  on  the  great  doctrines 
of  the  Gospel,  particularly  on  faith  in  the  atonement,  on 
divine  grace,  on  holiness,  on  the  love  of  God  and  of  our 
neighbour,  on  humility,  on  communion  with  God,  and  on 
the  world  of  spirits. 

One  brief  extract,  entitled,  <«  A  general  topic  of  Prayer," 
may  serve  to  shew  the  practical  piety,  and  the  humble  and 
subdued  disposition  of  its  author. 

"  Let  us,"  says  this  excellent  man,  <^  endeavour  to  seek 
*<  happiness  and  contentment  in  our  own  place  and  condi- 
"  tion,  not  looking  abroad  for  it.  Let  us  seek  and  expect  it 
«« in  existing  circumstances  ;  contented  with  little  domains, 
*Uittle  possessions,  a  little  dwelling;  that  we  may  prepare 
<<  foi^  a  less  house,  a  smaller  tenement  under  ground." 

If  we  descend  to  the  more  private  features  of  his  charac- 
ter, the  reader  of  his  Memoirs  must  be  struck  by  his  pa- 
tience under  protracted  weakness  and  suffering,  and  his 
submission  to  the  will  of  God  under  frequent  and  severe 
privations  of  domestic  and  personal  happiness,  and  by  his 
extraordinary  liberality  and  diffusive  charity.  Of  the  more 
remarkable  instances  of  these  virtues,  sufficient  notice  has 
been  already  taken  ;  but  Dr.  Buchanan  was  cordially  and 
habitually  generous;  and,  independently  of  those  munifi- 
cent acts  which  were  unavoidably  public,  the  writer  of  this 
narrative  has  met  with  many  other  instances  scarcely  less 
noble,  of  which  the  world  never  heard  ;  while,  in  addi- 
tion to  his  liberal  support  of  various  Christian  institutions 
which  adorn  our  country,  there  were,  no  doubt,  numerous 
exertions  of  private  benevolence,  which  were  utterly  un- 
known. 

It  may  seem  scarcely  necessary  to  add,  that  Dr.  Bu- 
chanan, from  deliberate  conviction  and  choice,  was  warmly 
and  steadily  attached  to  the  established  constitution  of  his 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  53g 

country,  both  in  Church  and  State.  Of  his  exertions  to  ex- 
tend the  one  throughout  the  British  empire,  the  reader  needs 
not  to  be  reminded  ;  while  his  loyal  and  zealous  support  of 
the  other  is  abundantly  testified  by  his  Jubilee  Sermons, 
and  by  various  excellent  discourses  both  in  India  and  in 
England. 

His  social  virtues  require  only  to  be  mentioned.  His  in- 
variable kindness  and  candour,  his  forbearance  and  readi- 
ness to  forgive,  together  with  all  the  charities  of  domestic 
life,  are  excellencies  which,  though  happily  too  common  to  be 
much  dwelt  upon,  will  long  live  in  the  recollection  and  regret 
of  his  family  and  friends.  To  him,  indeed,  in  these,  and 
in  some  other  points  which  have  been  noticed,  may  not  im- 
properly be  applied  the  tribute  of  a  Roman  historian  to  a 
man  of  eminent  merit  in  degenerate  times  ;  "  Civis,  mari- 
"  tus,  gener,  amicus,  cunctis  vitse  officiis  sequabilis,  opum 
«  contemptor,  recti  pervicax,  constans  adversus  metus.*" 

An  eneniy,  however,  for  such  it  seems  he  had,  or  even  a 
less  partial  friend,  might  here  be  disposed  to  say,  with  a 
celebrated  French  annalist,^  when  describing  a  man  of  ex- 
traordinary qualities,  "  Tournez  la  medaille."  To  such  a 
proposal  there  can  in  this  case  be  no  objection.  It  is  by  no 
means  necessary  to  the  just  appreciation  of  Dr.  Buchanan, 
to  represent  him  as  a  faultless  character;  and  if  it  were 
possible  for  him  to  interfere  with  so  unwise  and  unchristian 
an  attempt  on  the  part  of  any  of  his  friends,  he  would  be 
the  first  to  deprecate  and  to  resist  it.  His  defects  were  such 
as  are  incident  to  the  talents  and  dispositions  by  which  he 
was  distinguished.  Naturally  bold  and  ardent  in  his  con- 
ceptions, feelings,  and  expectations,  he  unavoidably  com- 
municated his  own  impressions  in  his  delineations  of  human 
good  and  evil.  Hence  he  has  been  accused  of  sweeping  and 
undistinguishing  severity  in  his  strictures  on  the  ecclesias- 
tical negligences  and  deficiencies  of  our  eastern  administra- 
tion, of  a  dictatorial  tone  in  his  suggestions,  and  of  exagge- 

a  Tac.  Hist.  lib.  it.  c.  7.  b  The  Due  de  SsUv. 


534  MEMOIRS  OF 

ration  in  his  representations  of  the  religious  state  of  India, 
and  of  the  probable  results  of  the  measures  which  he  recom- 
mended. 

<'  II  y  a  dans  cela,"  to  adopt  an  expression  of  a  celebra- 
ted personage,  '^  un  fond  de  verite."  Let  us,  however, 
define  the  nature  and  extent  of  the  admission.  If  it  be 
meant  by  such  animadversions  to  insinuate  that  Dr.  Bu- 
chanan either  intentionally,  grossly,  or  even  materially 
misrepresented  or  over-stated  any  facts  or  incidents  which 
he  has  undertaken  to  relate,  his  friends  would  have  no  hesi- 
tation in  denying  the  charge,  until  some  specific  proof  of 
such  allegations  be  adduced  ;  and  in  the  mean  time  they 
would  express  their  calm  and  undoubting  acquiescence  in 
the  result  of  a  full  and  impartial  examination.  It  may  be 
added,  that  a  man  of  so  much  integrity  and  ingenuousness 
as  Dr.  Buchanan,  when,  at  the  close  of  life,  he  was  urging 
upon  the  attention  of  the  missionary*  the  importance  of  a 
strict  and  cautious  adherence  to  simplicity  and  truth  in  his 
periodical  reports,  could  scarcely  be  conscious  of  any  per- 
sonal failure  in  the  performance  of  a  similar  duty. 

If  the  objections  in  question  refer  merely  to  the  warmth 
of  colouring  which  pervades  his  descriptions,  the  reply  has 
been  anticipated  in  the  sanguine  nature,  complexion,  and 
character  of  his  mind  ;  which  would  as  necessarily  produce 
such  a  style,  as  the  opposite  temperament  of  another 
writer  would  naturally  lead  to  colder  and  less  vivid  repre- 
sentations. If  this  consideration  should  be  deemed  unsatis- 
factory, it  can  only  be  lamented,  that  what  in  writers,  who 
have  but  little  else  to  recommend  them,  is  freely  forgiven, 
and  even  admired,  is  severely  visited  upon  one  whose  claims 
to  general  credibility  and  regard  are  of  no  ordinary  magni- 
tude. But  it  is  remarkable,  that  while  the  world  will  read- 
ily approve  the  coldest  and  most  inadequate  statements 
upon  religious  subjects,  the  man  who  treats  them  with  any 
degree  of  fervour  proportioned  to  their  importance,  will 
}>e  discredited  and  condemned.     That  Dr.  Buchanan  should 

«  See  page  50i  of  this  volum*^. 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  535 

have  been  resisted  and  misrepresented  by  those  who  con- 
sider his  zeal  for  the  conversion  and  salvation  of  men  ex- 
cessive and  enthusiastic,  and  his  plans  and  expectations 
visionary  and  extravagant,  not  to  say  rash  and  dangerous, 
ougiit  not  to  excite  our  surprise.  Time,  however,  and 
that  which  it  will  doubtless  bring  with  it,  additional  infor- 
mation and  experience,  will,  it  is  confidently  presumed, 
gradually  dissipate  these  illusions,  and  prove  to  the  satis- 
faction of  all,  who  are  not  under  the  influence  of  inveterate 
prejudice,  the  substantial  correctness  as  well  as  importance 
of  his  statements;  though,  as  it  will  ever  be  more  easy  to 
cavil  than  to  disprove,  to  criticise  the  productions  of  others 
than  to  add  to  the  general  stock  of  knowledge  and  happi- 
ness, it  is  vain  to  expect  that  minute  and  pertinacious  ob- 
jectors will  either  be  satisfied  or  silenced. 

"  I  ever  considered,"  observes  a  friend,*  whose  testimo- 
ny is  peculiarly  valuable,  (in  speaking  of  the  efforts  which 
have  been  made  to  depreciate  the  authority  of  Dr.  Bucha- 
nan,) *•  such  attempts  as  the  effect  of  dislike  to  the  plans  in 
*<  which  he  was  engaged.  I  apprehend  no  one  will  ever  be 
«  able  to  invalidate  any  of  the  facts  recorded  by  Dr.  Bu- 
"  chanan,  though  some,  w  ho  possess  not  his  spirit,  will  not 
"  view  the  circumstances  as  he  viewed  them,  and  therefore 
"  will  not  speak  of  them  as  he  did."  This  latter  remark 
forms,  in  fact,  the  key  to  the  greater  part  of  the  injurious 
charges  and  insinuations  which  have  been  circulated  res- 
pecting the  subject  of  these  Memoirs,  and  at  the  same  time 
furnishes  an  antidote  to  their  poison.  Let  but  the  same 
spirit  of  faith  in  the  Gospel,  and  of  love  to  the  souls  of  men, 
animate  those  w  ho  are  now  inclined  to  treat  with  negligence 
or  contempt  the  statements  and  reasonings  of  Dr.  Bucha- 
nan ;  and  it  may  be  asserted,  without  incurring  the  charge 
of  uncharitableness,  that  they  will  not  be  long  in  acknow- 
ledging the  truth  and  correctness  of  the  one,  and  the  force 
and  value  of  the  other.  Let  men,  in  short,  only  be  convin- 
ced, that  ignorance  of  the  true  God  is  the  grand  cause  of 

*  The  Rev.  D.  Corrie. 


58(5  MEMOIRS  OF 

all  the  moral  evil  in  the  world ;  that  to  <^  know  Him,  and 
"  Jesus  Clirist  whom  he  hath  sent,  is  life  eternal;^'  i.nd  that 
multitudes  are  eyery  where  <^  perishing  for  lack  of"  that 
«*  knowledge  ;"  and  they  will  at  once  be  disposed  to  admit, 
that  there  can  scarcely  be  any  exaggeration  in  describing 
the  wretchedness  of  those  who  are  destitute  of  it,  or  any 
excess  in  their  zeal  who  labour  to  make  known  to  every 
creature  under  heaven  that  Gospel,  which  has  "  the  pro- 
"  mise  of  the  life  that  now  is,  and  of  that  which  is  to  come." 
If  the  imperfections  of  Dr.  Buchanan  as  a  private  Christ- 
ian have  not  been  studiously  exhibited,  it  is  because,  from 
his  remarkable  simplicity,  and,  if  the  expression  may  be 
allowed,  his  careless  confidence  of  integrity,  the  defects  as 
well  as  the  excellencies  of  his  character  can  scarcely  fail 
of  being  sufficiently  noticed  by  an  attentive  reader  of  these 
Memoirs.  The  assistance  also  of  a  biographer  is  seldom  re- 
quired to  point  out  the  errors  of  men  who  have  acted  a 
prominent  part  in  the  world  ;  while  the  benefit  of  such  re- 
presentations, in  works  not  sanctioned  by  infallible  author- 
ity, is  very  doubtful;  mankind  in  general  standing  much 
more  in  need  of  being  animated  by  the  exhibition  of  emi- 
nent merit,  than  consoled  or  gratified  by  the  disch>sure 
and  delineation  of  defects  inseparable  from  the  condition 
even  of  the  most  advanced  Christian.  Of  those  which  were 
incident  to  his  own  character,  no  one  could  be  more  humbly 
sensible  than  Dr.  Buchanan,  more  watchful  for  the  discov- 
ery of  unknown  faults,  more  anxious  for  their  correction,  or 
more  diligent  in  endeavouring,  under  the  influence  of  divine 
grace,  «<  to  perfect  holiness  in  the  fear  of  God." 

After  all  the  deductions,  therefore,  which  may  be  due  to 
the  paramount  claims  of  truth,  or  urged  by  the  severer  de- 
mands of  a  less  friendly  scrutiny,  there  remains  to  the  sub- 
ject of  these  Memoirs  a  residue  of  solid,  and  undoubted,  and 
indefeasible  excellence,  of  which  the  conviction  and  estimate 
will,  it  is  firmly  believed,  be  gradually  and  certainly  aug- 
menting. He  may  be  slighted  by  some,  and  misrepresented 
or  misunderstood  by  others  5   but  among  those  who  can 


DR.  BUCHANAN.  537 

justly  aj)pr'cciate  distinguished  worth,  genuine  piety,  and 
enlarged  and  active  philanthropy,  there  can  surely  be  but 
one  opinion — that  Dr.  Buchanan  was  "  a  burning  and  a 
*•'  shining  light,"  and  a  signal  blessing  to  the  nations  of  tlie 
East.  We  may,  indeed,  safely  leave  his  eulogy  to  be  pro- 
nounced by  future  generations  in  Great  Britain  and  Hin- 
dostan,  who  will  probably  vie  with  each  other  in  doing 
honour  to  his  memory,  and  unite  in  venerating  him  as  one 
of  the  best  benefactors  of  mankind  ;  as  having  laboured  to 
impart  to  those  who  in  a  spiritual  sense  are  <<  poor  indeed," 
a  treasure. 


"  Transcending  in  ils  worth 


"  The  gerns  of  India" 

But  if  it  were  possible  that  men  sliould  forget  or  be  insen- 
sible to  their  obligations  to  this  excellent  person,  he  is  now 
far  removed  from  human  censure  and  applause;  his  judg- 
ment and  his  work  are  with  God  ;  his  record  is  on  high, 
and  his  witness  in  heaven.  He  has  «  entered  into  peace," 
and  will  doubtless  stand  in  no  unenvied  lot  **  at  the  end  of 
»« the  days ;"  when  <*  they  that  are  wise  shall  shine  as  the 
<«  brightness  of  the  firmament,  and  they  that  turn  many  to 
♦«  righteousness  as  the  stars  for  ever  and  ever." 


THE  END, 


y  s 


J.  RAKJESTRAVV.  Printer. 
Philadelii^i'O. 


MONUMENTAL  INSCRIPTIONS, 


In  sure  and  certain  hope 
of  a  blessed  resurrection  unto  eternal  life, 
was  deposited  here  the  mortal  body  of 
MARY, 

the  beloved  wife  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Claudius  Buchanan, 

of  Moat  Hall, 

and  youngest  daughter  of  Henry  Thompson,  Esq.  of  Kirby  Hall, 

who  died  on  the  23d  day  of  March  1813, 

in  the  36th  year  of  her  age. 

By  the  grace  given  unto  her,  this  excellent  woman 

adorned  by  her  conduct  the  doctrine  of  the  Gospel. 

Sincerity,  honesty,  and  simplicity, 

were  the  characters  of  her  mind,  and  she 

delighted  to  serve  God, 
"  who  desireth  truth  in  the  inward  parts." 

Exercised  by  personal  and  domestic  suffering,  she  was 

early  weaned  from  the  love  of  the  world  : 

her  affections  were  set  on  things  which  are  above, 

and  she  was  enabled  to  overcome  the  world, 

for  she  was  born  of  God. 

"  For  whatsoever  is  born  of  God  overcometh  the  world :  and 
this  is  the  victory  that  overcometh  the  world, 

even  our  faith."   1  John  v.  4. 
Close  by  her  side  lie  her  two  infant  children, 
CLAUDIUS  BUCHANAN, 

aged  three  days, 

born  28th  Dec.  1810. 

And  his  infant  brother, 

who  lived  and  died  the  27th  Feb.  1813. 

Thrice  happy  infants  ! 
That  saw  the  light,  and  turned  their  eyes  aside 
From  our  dim  regions  to  the  eternal  Sun. 


Sacred  to  the  memory  of 
CLAUDIUS  BUCHANAN,  D.  D. 

Late  Vice-Provost  of  the  College  of  Fort  William  in  Beno;^!; 

whose  eminent  character  as  a  Christian, 

zeal  for  the  cause  of  his  God  and  Saviour, 

and  unwearied  endeavours  to  promote  it  in  the  earth, 

deserve  to  be  had  in  everlasting  remembrance. 

He  was  a  native  of  Scotland, 

but  educated  at  Queen's  College,  Cambridge. 

During  the  twelve  years  of  his  abode  in  India, 

"  his  spirit  was  stirred  in  him," 
while  he  beheld  millions  of  his  fellow  subjects, 
^  under  a  Christian  government, 

as  sheep  without  a  shepherd,  and  perishing 

for  lack  of  knowledge. 

To  excite  the  attention  of  the  British  nation  to  this  sad  spectacle, 

he  devoted  his  time,  talents,  and  a 

large  portion  of  his  income. 

By  his  "  Christian  Researches,"  and  other 

valuable  publications, 

he  pleaded  the  cause  of  neglected  India,  nor  pleaded  in  vain : 

Britain  was  roused  to  a  sense  of  her  duty, 

and  sent  forth  labourers  to  the  harvest. 

Though  gentle  and  unassuming, 

he  was  bold  and  intrepid  in  this  work  of  faith  and  labour  of  love  ; 

and  exhibited  mental  vigour  to  the  last, 

amidst  great  bodily  debility  and  severe  affliction. 

In  social  and  domestic  life  he  was  holy  and  exemplary, 

full  of  mercy  and  good  works  : 

Yet  in  lowliness  of  mind,  he  renounced  all  dependance  upon 

the  excellencies  which  others  saw  and  admired  in  him. 

and  looked  for  eternal  salvation  through  the 

obedience  unto  death  of  Christ. 

He  departed  this  life  February  9,  1815,  aged  48, 

At  Broxbourne,  in  Hertfordshire; 

where  he  was  superintending  an  edition  of  the  Syriac  Scriptures; 

and  was  buried  near  the^  remains  of  his  amiable  wife, 

whose  virtues  he  has  recorded  on  the  adjoining  stone. 

"  They  were  lovely  and  pleasant  in  their  lives, 

«  and  in  their  death  they  were  not"  long  "  divided." 


'«.(♦; 


At 


^1 


'■■■^t 

>'/' 


